Julia Semprich

Sanidine vs Hematite (planetary science edition)

While plagioclase is the dominant feldspar on Mars, high concentrations of sanidine were measured in the Windjana drill sample by Curiosity in Gale crater but it is present in other drill samples.

Hematite is a common mineral on Mars but is particularly abundant in a feature called Vera Rubin ridge at Gale crater. The presence of gray hematite in one sample suggeste hydrothermal precipitation.

#MinCup25 #Sanidine #Hematite

Sep 7, 2025 at 8:24pmWeb
Show threadJulia SemprichSep 7, 2025

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References:
Morris et al., 2020. Hydrothermal precipitation of sanidine and specular hematite. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019JE006324

Rampe et al., 2020. Mineralogy of Vera Rubin Ridge. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019JE006306

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