Jf. Mustard et al., THE SURFACE OF SYRTIS MAJOR - COMPOSITION OF THE VOLCANIC SUBSTRATE AND MIXING WITH ALTERED DUST AND SOIL, J GEO R-PLA, 98(E2), 1993, pp. 3387-3400
Syrtis Major is an old, low relief volcanic plateau near the equatoria
l regions of Mars. It is a persistent low-albedo feature on the planet
and is thought to contain a high abundance of exposed bedrock and/or
locally derived surface material and debris. Spatially resolved variat
ions in surface spectral properties, and therefore composition, are in
vestigated with data from the Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (ISM) inst
rument. ISM obtained 128 wavelength channel spectrum from 0.76 to 3.16
mum for contiguous pixels approximately 22 x 22 km in size across muc
h of the plateau. The value and spatial distribution of four primary s
pectral variables (albedo, continuum slope, wavelength of the ferric-f
errous band minimum, area of the ferric-ferrous absorption) are mapped
and coregistered to Viking digital photomosaics. Analysis of these ma
ps shows that although there is a high degree of overall spectral vari
ability on the plateau, the key indicators of mafic mineralogy are rel
atively homogeneous. Detailed examination of reflectance spectra from
representative areas across the plateau indicate the volcanic surface
is dominated by augite-bearing basalts and the pyroxene composition in
the basalts is estimated to be 0.275+/- 0.075 Ca/Ca+Fe+Mg) and 0.3+/-
0.1 Fe/(Fe+Ca+Mg). Additional mineral components may include olivine,
feldspar, and glass. Most of the spectral variability on the plateau
is interpreted to result from mixing of volcanic bedrock and/or locall
y derived surface material and debris with highly altered dust and soi
l. In western Syrtis Major the altered material is a transient compone
nt on the surface or occurs in large spatially coherent patches (e.g.,
crater rims). In eastern Syrtis Major it is apparent that the dust co
mponents are firmly fixed to the basaltic substrate as a stable oxide
rind or coating.