Osterloo M M, Hamilton V E, Bandfield J L, Glotch T D, Baldridge A M, Christensen P R, Tornabene L L, Anderson F S
Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
Science. 2008 Mar 21;319(5870):1651-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1150690.
Chlorides commonly precipitate during the evaporation of surface water or groundwater and during volcanic outgassing. Spectrally distinct surface deposits consistent with chloride-bearing materials have been identified and mapped using data from the 2001 Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System. These deposits are found throughout regions of low albedo in the southern highlands of Mars. Geomorphologic evidence from orbiting imagery reveals these deposits to be light-toned relative to their surroundings and to be polygonally fractured. The deposits are small (< approximately 25 km(2)) but globally widespread, occurring in middle to late Noachian terrains with a few occurrences in early Hesperian terrains. The identification of chlorides in the ancient southern highlands suggests that near-surface water was available and widespread in early Martian history.
氯化物通常在地表水或地下水蒸发以及火山排气过程中沉淀。利用2001年火星奥德赛热发射成像系统的数据，已识别并绘制出了与含氯物质一致的光谱特征明显的地表沉积物。这些沉积物分布在火星南部高地的低反照率区域。轨道图像的地貌证据显示，这些沉积物相对于周围环境颜色较浅，且呈多边形断裂。这些沉积物面积较小（<约25平方千米），但分布广泛，出现在诺亚纪中期至晚期的地形中，在早赫斯珀利亚纪地形中也有少量出现。在古老的南部高地发现氯化物表明，在火星早期历史中，近地表水是存在且广泛分布的。
