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Mars as the parent body of the CI carbonaceous chondrites
Author(s) -
Brandenburg John E.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/96gl01217
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , meteorite , martian , astrobiology , chondrite , regolith , geology , accretion (finance) , atmosphere of mars , geochemistry , physics , astrophysics
The hypothesis that the CI meteorites have an origin on southern Mars is presented. This hypothesis is based on the CI containing a Martian pattern of oxygen isotopes and mineralogy indicative of deposition by liquid water, as found in several Martian meteorites. Other correlation's are discussed. A model of the formation of CI meteorites as being late planetary accretion material that was concentrated as bottom sediment of lakes or seas in early Mars history is proposed. The model accounts for the similarity to solar composition of the CI s because during the late accretion on Mars the upper regolith would receive material that was Martian in isotopic abundance but primordial in composition.