The Martian meteorites are basaltic igneous rocks that provide a window into the interior of Mars. They are products of magmas generated by melting at various depths in the planet, and can provide critical information about the chemistry, structure and history of their source regions. Most Martian meteorites are not pure magma compositions because they contain accumulated crystals (olivine and/or pyroxene), and therefore one of the major goals in studying them is to determine the compositions of their so-called parent magmas. A promising method for doing so is the analysis and interpretation of melt inclusions fortuitously trapped in early-crystallized minerals such as olivine. Melt inclusions in terrestrial volcanic rocks have been widely and successfully used to reveal compositional and other characteristics of mantle-derived magmas. Melt inclusions in Martian meteorites, however, present greater challenges, due to the intrusive and often highly-equilibrated nature of their host rocks. I am working to develop new analytical techniques for meeting these challenges. The ultimate goal of these studies is to elucidate the composition, structure, and history of the Martian mantle.
Back-scattered electron images of melt inclusions in olivine in Martian meteorites. Left: SaU 005. Right: Nakhla.
Publications:
Thanks to William Hartmann for the image (painting) of "Lowell's Mars."