Craters of the Moon National Monument Basalts as Analogs for Martian Rocks and Meteorites.

Authors

Christopher T. Adcock, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Arya Udry, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Elisabeth M. Hausrath, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Oliver Tschauner, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

3-1-2018

Publication Title

49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018

First page number:

1

Last page number:

2

Abstract

Craters of the Moon National Monument (COTM) in Idaho, USA, is a 1600 km2 arid to semi-arid region that is home to over 60 relatively young (2,050 to 18,340 years before present [y.b.p.]), basalt lava flows. The region has been used as a lunar or martian planetary analog since the late 1960's because of landscape features such as caves, secondary minerals similar to some which may be on Mars, and the basaltic terrain and geomorphology [1-9]. In particular, the high phosphate content of some of the flows is of both planetary and astrobiological interest. Phosphate is a bio-essential compound and Mars in general has elevated phosphorus compared to Earth [10, 11]. Usui et al. (2008) [6] suggested some of the high phosphate flows of COTM could be analogs for martian rocks like the Gusev Crater Wishstone class, although they did not indicate specific flows.

Disciplines

Astrophysics and Astronomy | Cosmochemistry | The Sun and the Solar System

Language

English

Repository Citation

Adcock, C. T., Udry, A., Hausrath, E. M., Tschauner, O. (2018). Craters of the Moon National Monument Basalts as Analogs for Martian Rocks and Meteorites.. 49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 1-2.