Surface Passivation During Antigorite Dissolution and Its Implications for Scarcity of Serpentine on Mars

Le résumé fourni par la source

Serpentine is widely regarded as a key indicator of early water-rock interactions and potential habitability on Mars. However, its surprisingly limited distribution suggests that post-formational aqueous alteration may have significantly modified its preservation. To study this possibility, the dissolution behavior of antigorite serpentine was examined in six typical Martian-related brines at a water-to-rock ratio of 100:1, liking an open aqueous system analogous to those that may have existed on early Mars. The results showed that the surface of the antigorite serpentine formed an amorphous silicon-rich layer with a thickness of 10-40 nm, which such passivation may contribute to the limited orbital detectability of serpentine on Mars by masking its characteristic spectral signatures and would provide a new mechanism for serpentine preservation during early Martian aqueous alteration.

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