Identification, distribution and possible origins of sulfates in Capri Chasma (Mars), inferred from CRISM data

CRISM is a hyperspectral imager onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO; NASA, 2005) which has been acquiring data since November 2006 and has targeted hydrated minerals previously detected by OMEGA (Mars Express; ESA, 2003). The present study focuses on hydrated minerals detected with CRISM at high spatial resolution in the vicinity of Capri Chasma, a canyon of the Valles Marineris system. CRISM data were processed and coupled with MRO and other spacecraft data, in particular HiRiSE (High Resolution Science Experiment, MRO) images. Detections revealed sulfates in abundance in Capri, especially linked to the interior layered deposits (ILD) that lie in the central part of the chasma. Both monohydrated and polyhydrated sulfates are found at different elevations and are associated with different layers. Monohydrated sulfates are widely detected over the massive light-toned cliffs of the ILD, whereas polyhydrated sulfates seem to form a basal and a top layer associated with lower-albedo deposits in flatter areas. Hydrated silicates (phyllosilicates or opaline silica) have also been detected very locally on two mounds about a few hundred meters in diameter at the bottom of the ILD cliffs. We suggest some formation models of these minerals that are consistent with our observations