Dust Production by Abrasion of Eolian Basalt Sands: Analogue for Martian Dust

• Published in: Journal of geophysical research. Planets 2018-10, Vol.123 (10), p.2713-2731
• Main Authors: Bristow, Charlie S., Moller, Torsten H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abrasion; Basalt; Dunes; Dust; Dust storms; Eolian sands; Gypsum; Instrumentation; Mars; Mars dust; Mars surface; Mars surface sediments; Mars volcanoes; saltation; Sand; Sediments; soil; Storms; Volcanic activity; Volcanic ash; Volcanic dust; Volcanoes; Weight
• ISSN: 2169-9097; 2169-9100
• DOI: 10.1029/2018JE005682

Dust is nearly ubiquitous on Mars, covering much of the planet's surface, having been redistributed by dust storms. Analysis of dust via landed instrumentation indicates a basaltic composition for its protolith; the same is interpreted for the dark dune sands encountered at rover field sites. In this paper, we used samples of eolian sands derived from basaltic volcanoes in an experiment to simulate dust production from basalt dune sands within an abrasion chamber. In addition, we used samples from gypsum dunes because gypsum is found within dune fields on the northern plains of Mars. The results, expressed as weight percent of sample reduced to dust, show a remarkably broad range over 4 orders of magnitude. Eolian abrasion of basalt sands can produce similar amounts of dust, as is the case for some desert sands on Earth. Some plausible Mars analogue materials can produce large amounts of dust, suggesting that eolian movement of basaltic sand and volcanic sediments on the surface of Mars is a potential source of fine‐grained sediment or dust. Plain Language Summary Mars is covered in dust that is stirred up and spread around the planet by dust storms. But where did the dust come from, and how was it made? We explore these questions using sands from volcanoes that were blown around in a large test tube that acts as an abrasion chamber. The results show that wind‐blown particles of basalt sands and volcanic ash can produce dust. The volcanic ash produced more dust than the basalt sand and is a likely source for some of the dust on Mars. Key Points Collisions between particles and surfaces during eolian abrasion of basalt sands can produce dust Experimental results from an abrasion chamber range from less than 0.005% to 50%, by mass, of sample reduced to dust in 72 hr A Mars analogue weathered volcaniclastic sediment produced 2 orders of magnitude more dust than basalt dune sands