Petrologic Evolution of Martian Volcanism and Clues from Meteorites

Our knowledge of the formation and evolution of the Martian surface, and thus the fate of its volcanic regions, are revealed in the mineralogy of the crust (as observed by orbiters and landers) and the chemistry hidden within Martian meteorites. The composition of the Martian crust has been estimated from SNC (shergottite—nakhlite—chassignite) meteorites, which are chemically similar to terrestrial basalts. However, these meteorites reveal a complexity in other mineralogies, such as the silicic implications for volcanism across Mars. Although the exact locations of such SNCs are difficult to discern, the variety of geochemical data from these meteorites gives us a clue as to the mineralogical regions, and thus probable varieties of volcanism on Mars. In this chapter, we will explore the Martian meteorites and their clues to the Martian volcanic regions and crustal components of the North–South dichotomy.