Deposition Rates of Oxidized Iron on Mars

The reddened oxidized surface of Mars is indicative of temporal interactions between the Martian atmosphere and its surface. During the evolution of the Martian regolith, primary ferromagnesian silicate and sulfide minerals in basaltic rocks apparently have been oxidized to secondary ferric-bearing assemblages. To evaluate how and when such oxidized deposits were formed on Mars, information about the mechanisms and rates of chemical weathering of Fe(2+)-bearing minerals has been determined. In this paper, mechanisms and rates of deposition of ferric oxide phases on the Martian surface are discussed.