IRON WEATHERING PRODUCTS IN A CO2 + (H2O OR H2O2) ATMOSPHERE: IMPLICATIONS FOR WEATHERING PROCESSES ON THE SURFACE OF MARS

Abstract

Various iron-bearing primary phases and rocks have been weathered experimentally to simulate possible present and past weathering processes occurring on Mars. We used magnetite, monoclinic and hexagonal pyrrhotites, and metallic iron as it is suggested that meteoritic input to the martian surface may account for an important source of reduced iron. The phases were weathered in two different atmospheres: one composed of CO2 + H2O, to model the present and primary martian atmosphere, and a CO2 + H2O + H2O2 atmosphere to simulate the effect of strong oxidizing agents. Experiments were conducted at room temperature and a pressure of 0.75 atm. Magnetite is the only stable phase in the experiments and is thus likely to be released on the surface of Mars from primary rocks during weathering processes. Siderite, elemental sulfur, ferrous sulfates and ferric (oxy)hydroxides (goethite and lepidocrocite) are the main products in a water-bearing atmosphere, depending on the substrate. In the peroxide atmosphere, weathering products are dominated by ferric sulfates and goethite. A kinetic model was then developed for iron weathering in a water atmosphere, using the shrinking core model (SCM). This model includes competition between chemical reaction and diffusion of reactants through porous layers of secondary products. The results indicate that for short time scales, the mechanism is dominated by a chemical reaction with second order kinetics (k = 7.75 × 10-5 g-1/h), whereas for longer time scales, the mechanism is diffusion-controlled (DeA = 2.71 × 10-10 m2/h). The results indicate that a primary CO2- and H2O-rich atmosphere should favour sulfur, ferrous phases such as siderite or Fe2+-sulfates, associated with ferric (oxy)hydroxides (goethite and lepidocrocite). Further evolution to more oxidizing conditions may have forced these precursors to evolve into ferric sulfates and goethite/hematite. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.