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COSMOCHEMISTRY iLLUSTRATED
Jarosite Stopwatch on MarsJarosite Stopwatch on Mars
Jarosite Stopwatch on Mars
The Meridiani landing site on Mars is made of eolian deposits altered by water (driven by a fluctuating water table). Mössbauer spectrometry indicates the presence of jarosite,(Na,K,H)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6.
Burns Cliff, Meridiani Planum, Mars
~7m
COSMOCHEMISTRY iLLUSTRATED
Jarosite StabilityJarosite Stability
Jarosite Stopwatch on Mars
Jarosite forms early in basalt weathering and at low pH, relatively oxidizing conditions.
Diagrams after Elwood Madden et al. (2004)