On the formation of Martian blueberries
-
D.D. Eberl
Abstract
The Martian blueberries, first discovered by NASA’s Opportunity rover, are concretions likely formed in sediments from hydrothermal solutions resulting from bolide impact into groundwater or permafrost. Evidence for this conclusion comes from the shapes of particle size distributions measured from Opportunity photos by Royer et al. (2006, 2008). These distributions, which exhibit a unique negative skew and lognormal positive skews, fit theoretical and experimental shapes determined for minerals precipitated from solution at higher and lower levels of supersaturation, respectively. The authors of these particle size measurements suggested that the blueberries were formed by aggregation or vapor condensation from a large meteoritic impact cloud. This origin is unlikely because such an event would not have created both negative and positive skews that closely fit distribution shapes expected for mineral crystallization from solution.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Denis Royer for sending the author raw data from his 2008 paper, to Jan Środoń, Graham Thompson, and Dan Kile for reviews of the initial manuscript, to Linda C. Kah and to an anonymous reviewer for their formal reviews, and to the USGS where this research was initiated.
References cited
Burt, D.M. (2021) Distinctive features of impactoclastic layered rocks on Mars. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. LPI Contrib. No. 2548, pdf 1210.Search in Google Scholar
Burt, D.M., Knauth, L.P., and Wohletz, K.H. (2005) Origin of layered rocks, salts, and spherules at the Opportunity landing site on Mars: No flowing or standing water evident or required. Lunar and Planetary Science, XXXVI1527.pdf.10.1038/nature04383Search in Google Scholar
Chan, M.A., Beitler, B., Parry, W. T., Ormö, J., and Komatsu, G. (2004) A possible terrestrial analogue for haematite concretions on Mars. Nature, 429, 731–734.10.1038/nature02600Search in Google Scholar
Eberl, D.D., Drits, V.A., and Srodon, J. (1998) Deducing crystal growth mechanisms for minerals from the shapes of crystal size distributions. American Journal of Science, 298, 499–533.10.2475/ajs.298.6.499Search in Google Scholar
Eberl, D.D., Kile, D.E., and Drits, V.A. (2002) On geological interpretations of crystal size distributions: Constant vs. proportionate growth. American Mineralogist, 87, 1235–1241.10.2138/am-2002-8-923Search in Google Scholar
Fan, H., Song, B., Liu, J., Yang, Z., and Li, Q. (2005) Thermal formation mechanism and size control of spherical hematite nanoparticles. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 89, 321–325.10.1016/j.matchemphys.2004.09.021Search in Google Scholar
Grotzinger, J.P., Arvidson, R.E., Bell, J.F., Calvin, W., Clark, B.C., Fike, D.A., Golombek, M., Greeley, R., Haldemann, A., Herkenhoff, K.E., and others (2005) Stratigraphy and sedimentology of a dry to wet eolian depositional system, Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 240, 11–72.10.1016/j.epsl.2005.09.039Search in Google Scholar
Joseph, R.G., Armstrong, R., Wei, X., Gibson, C., Planchon, O., Duvall, D., Elewa, A.M.T., Duxbury, N.S., Rabb, H., Latif, K., and Schild, R. (2021) Fungi on Mars? Evidence of growth behavior from sequential images. Journal of Cosmology, 29, 480–550.Search in Google Scholar
Kile, D.E., and Eberl, D.D. (2003) On the origin of size-dependent and size-independent crystal growth: Influence of advection and diffusion. American Mineralogist, 88, 1514–1521.10.2138/am-2003-1014Search in Google Scholar
Kile, D.E., Eberl, D.D., Hoch, A.R., and Reddy, M.M. (2000) An assessment of calcite crystal growth mechanisms base on crystal size distributions. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 64, 2937–2950.10.1016/S0016-7037(00)00394-XSearch in Google Scholar
Lifshitz, I.M., and Slyozov, V.V. (1961) The kinetics of precipitation from supersaturated solid solutions. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 19, 35–50.10.1016/0022-3697(61)90054-3Search in Google Scholar
McLennan, S.M., Bell, J.F., Calvin, W.M., Christensen, P.R., Clark, B.C., de Souza, P.A., Farmer, J., Farrand, W.H., Fike, D.A., Gellert, R., and others (2005) Provenance and diagenesis of the evaporite-bearing Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 240, 95–121.10.1016/j.epsl.2005.09.041Search in Google Scholar
Misra, A.K., Acosta-Maeda, T.E., Scott, E.R.D., and Sharma, S.K. (2014) Possible mechanism for explaining the origin and size distribution of Martian hematite spherules. Planetary and Space Science, 92, 16–23.10.1016/j.pss.2014.01.020Search in Google Scholar
Morris, R.V., Ming, D.W., Graff, T.G., Arvidson, R.E., Bell, J.F., Squyres, S.W., Mertzman, S.A., Gruener, J.E., Golden, D.C., Le, L., and Robinson, G.A. (2005) Hematite spherules in basaltic tephra altered under aqueous, acid-sulfate conditions on Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii: Possible clues for the occurrence of hematite-rich spherules in the Burns formation at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 240, 168–178.10.1016/j.epsl.2005.09.044Search in Google Scholar
Pirajno, F. (2009) Hydrothermal processes associated with meteorite impacts. In Hydrothermal Processes and Mineral Systems, 1025–1096. Springer.10.1007/978-1-4020-8613-7_10Search in Google Scholar
Royer, D., Nelson, J., and Wallace, H.C. (2006) Mars spherule size distribution from panoramic camera images. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (No. XXXVII), Abstract 1001.Search in Google Scholar
Royer, D., Burt, D.M., and Wohletz, K.H. (2008) The Mars spherule size distribution and the impact hypothesis. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (No. XXXIX), Abstract 1013.Search in Google Scholar
Squyres, S.W., Arvidson, R.E., Bollen, D., Bell, J.F. III, Brückner, J., Cabrol, N.A., Calvin, W.M., Carr, M.H., Christensen, P.R., Clark, B.C., and others (2006) Overview of the Opportunity Mars exploration rover mission to Meridiani Planum: Eagle Crater to Purgatory Ripple. Journal of Geophysical Research, 111, E12S12. doi:10.1029/2006JE002771.10.1029/2006JE002771Search in Google Scholar
Wagner, C. (1961) Theorie der alterung von niederschlägen durch umlösen (Ostwald reifung). Zeitschrift Fuer Elektrochimie, 65, 581–591 (in German).10.1002/bbpc.19610650704Search in Google Scholar
© 2021 Mineralogical Society of America
Articles in the same Issue
- MSA Presidential Address
- MSA at 100 and why optical mineralogy still matters: The optical properties of talc
- Boron isotope compositions establish the origin of marble from metamorphic complexes: Québec, New York, and Sri Lanka
-
Celleriite,
- Jingsuiite, TiB2, a new mineral from the Cr-11 podiform chromitite orebody, Luobusa ophiolite, Tibet, China: Implications for recycling of boron
- Incorporation of incompatible trace elements into molybdenite: Layered PbS precipitates within molybdenite
- Experimental melt inclusion homogenization in a hydrothermal diamond-anvil cell: Comparison with homogenization at one atmosphere
- Thermoelastic properties of zircon: Implications for geothermobarometry
- A Rayleigh model of cesium fractionation in granite-pegmatite systems
- The atomic arrangement and electronic interactions in vonsenite at 295, 100, and 90 K
- Oxalate formation by Aspergillus niger on minerals of manganese ores
- High-pressure experimental study of tetragonal CaSiO3-perovskite to 200 GPa
- Mesoproterozoic seafloor authigenic glauconite-berthierine: Indicator of enhanced reverse weathering on early Earth
- Chemical variability in vyacheslavite, U(PO4)(OH): Crystal-chemical implications for hydrous and hydroxylated U4+, Ca, and REE phosphates
- Bennesherite, Ba2Fe2+Si2O7: A new melilite group mineral from the Hatrurim Basin, Negev Desert, Israel
- Single-crystal elasticity of phase Egg AlSiO3OH and δ-AlOOH by Brillouin spectroscopy
- Letter
- On the formation of Martian blueberries
Articles in the same Issue
- MSA Presidential Address
- MSA at 100 and why optical mineralogy still matters: The optical properties of talc
- Boron isotope compositions establish the origin of marble from metamorphic complexes: Québec, New York, and Sri Lanka
-
Celleriite,
- Jingsuiite, TiB2, a new mineral from the Cr-11 podiform chromitite orebody, Luobusa ophiolite, Tibet, China: Implications for recycling of boron
- Incorporation of incompatible trace elements into molybdenite: Layered PbS precipitates within molybdenite
- Experimental melt inclusion homogenization in a hydrothermal diamond-anvil cell: Comparison with homogenization at one atmosphere
- Thermoelastic properties of zircon: Implications for geothermobarometry
- A Rayleigh model of cesium fractionation in granite-pegmatite systems
- The atomic arrangement and electronic interactions in vonsenite at 295, 100, and 90 K
- Oxalate formation by Aspergillus niger on minerals of manganese ores
- High-pressure experimental study of tetragonal CaSiO3-perovskite to 200 GPa
- Mesoproterozoic seafloor authigenic glauconite-berthierine: Indicator of enhanced reverse weathering on early Earth
- Chemical variability in vyacheslavite, U(PO4)(OH): Crystal-chemical implications for hydrous and hydroxylated U4+, Ca, and REE phosphates
- Bennesherite, Ba2Fe2+Si2O7: A new melilite group mineral from the Hatrurim Basin, Negev Desert, Israel
- Single-crystal elasticity of phase Egg AlSiO3OH and δ-AlOOH by Brillouin spectroscopy
- Letter
- On the formation of Martian blueberries
