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The Martian Surface Composition

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Abstract

Mars is unique to have undergone all planetary evolutionary steps, without global resets, till its geological death: this is reflected in the variety of its surface features. The determination of Mars surface composition has thus the potential to identify the processes responsible for the entire Mars evolution, from geological timescales to seasonal variations. Due to technical challenges, only few investigations have been performed so far. They are summarized in this paper, and their interpretation is discussed in terms of surface materials (minerals, ices and frosts).

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  1. Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, 91405, Orsay Campus, France

    Jean-Pierre Bibring & Stéphane Erard

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  1. Jean-Pierre Bibring
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Bibring, JP., Erard, S. The Martian Surface Composition. Space Science Reviews 96, 293–316 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011909708806

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