New analyses of Martian chemical maps suggest water bound to sulfates in soil

A research team led by LSU Geology and Geophysics Assistant Professor Suniti Karunatillake reveals a spatial association between the presence of sulfur and hydrogen found in martian soil. The work by this multi-institutional team of researchers from Georgia Tech (James Wray), Stony Brook University (Scott McLennan and Deanne Rogers), CNRS/ Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (Olivier Gasnault), Cornell University (Steve Squyres), and University of Arizona (William Boynton) may in turn identify hydrous iron sulfates as key carriers of H₂O in bulk martian soil. The gamma spectral signature of hydrogen serves as a possible indicator of water, a primary driver of weathering and life processes on Earth. The analyzed elemental data from the Gamma Ray Spectrometer onboard the Mars Odyssey orbiter was published in Geophysical Research Letters on Nov. 22, 2014.