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Clay on Mars

  • 1st Edition, Volume 12 - October 3, 2025
  • Latest edition
  • Editor: Javier Cuadros
  • Language: English

Clay on Mars, Volume Twelve delves into the latest advancements in the exploration and characterization of Martian clay. Edited by a team of experts, the book compiles contribut… Read more

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Description

Clay on Mars, Volume Twelve delves into the latest advancements in the exploration and characterization of Martian clay. Edited by a team of experts, the book compiles contributions from leading researchers in the field. It begins with introductory content, followed by a detailed examination of remote sensing instruments and in situ analyses from probes and rovers. The initial chapters discuss lithologic and textural context, clay stratigraphy, and other fundamental aspects. The book also explores clay from various sources, including impact craters, lakes, seas, and hydrothermal origins.

In addition, it covers detailed examinations of surface alteration, diagenesis, mixed-layer clay minerals, and the potential for astrobiology. The book concludes with intriguing chapters on clays in meteorites and their potential as a natural resource for human missions on Mars, making it a valuable resource for mineralogists and geologists.

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Key features

  • Opens new avenues for research by describing state of the art and the strategic knowledge gaps in ways multiple disciplines can understand
  • Clarifies how clay minerals, which are small by definition, are detected at large regional scales and what this means to different experts of various perspectives
  • Highlights the impact of clay mineralogy for the most important topics in planetary science and Mars science

Readership

Mineralogists and geologists working on both Earth and Mars science, government space agencies, space agency partners, mining or mineral prospecting companies, Researchers and students in mineralogy and geology

Table of contents

1. Introduction to Mars

2. Geologic context of clays on Mars

3. Remote sensing instruments used in the investigation of clays on Mars

4. In situ analysis from probes and rovers

5. Lithologic and textural context of clays inferred from remote sensing

6. Clay stratigraphy

7. Clays from impact craters

8. Clays from lakes and seas

9. Clays of apparent hydrothermal origin.

10. Surface alteration. Possible origins of proto-clays

11. Diagenesis and burial

12. Mixed-layered clay minerals on Mars

13. Clays in martian meteorites

14. Clays and Martian astrobiology

15. Clays and natural resources for human missions on Mars

16. Future directions

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Volume: 12
  • Published: October 17, 2025
  • Language: English

About the editor

JC

Javier Cuadros

Javier Cuadros is a clay geochemist at the Natural History Museum in London. He has 30+ years of experience in the field and has published 100+ peer-reviewed articles in international journals covering clay crystal-chemistry, transformation and reactivity of clays, adsorption of inorganic and organic species, spectroscopy of clays, interaction of clays with microorganisms and plants, and ~20 articles on clay on Mars. He co-edited and co-authored the book “Interstratified Clay Minerals: Origin, Characterization and Geochemical Significance” published by AIPEA (International Association for the Study of Clays) in 2010. He was recognized by the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland as the 12th George Brown Lecturer in 2011. He taught courses organized by AIPEA and the Russian Clay Group. He is presently Associated Editor of Clay Minerals and has edited special collections or issues for several journals, including “Earth Analogs for Martian Geological Materials and Processes” for American Mineralogist (2017-2019).
Affiliations and expertise
Clay Geochemist, Natural History Museum, London, UK

View book on ScienceDirect

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