How do Cryosalt Mixtures Constrain the Near Surface Geochemistry on Mars?: Bridging Laboratory Analyses with Martian Remote Sensing data

Modeling of chlorides and perchlorates has shown that brines could take on a liquid form in near-surface environments on modern Mars and even some surface environments for short time periods.

The potential for subsurface liquid brines in Mars is essential to define habitable sites on modern Mars for future human explorations.

The overall aim of this project is to bring an unique approach to probe the water retention ability mechanism of martian analogue soils/Cl-salt mixtures with coordinating low temperature vibrational spectroscopy experiments with Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM)CRISM martian orbit data.

I hypothesize the water is locked between the grains, forming oxychloride phases of brines and stabilized at low temperatures.

To test this, we will vary (i) Cl-salt abundance, (ii) particle (grain) size distribution and (iii) the chemical composition in martian analogue materials that will be worked in four tasks. This study is driven by characterizing associations between minerals, aqueous geochemistry, climate, and habitability.

Furthermore, proposed work will provide a spectral database for martian rover and orbit analyses of NASA and European Space Agency (ESA).