Multiple techniques for mineral identification on Mars:: a study of hydrothermal rocks as potential analogues for astrobiology sites on Mars

Spectroscopic studies of Mars analog materials combining multiple spectral ranges and techniques are necessary in order to obtain ground truth information for interpretation of rocks and soils on Mars. Two hydrothermal rocks from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, were characterized here because they contain minerals requiring water for formation and they provide a possible niche for some of the earliest organisms on Earth. If related rocks formed in hydrothermal sites on Mars, identification of these would be important for understanding the geology of the planet and potential habitability for life. XRD, thermal properties, VNIR, mid-IR, and Raman spectroscopy were employed to identify the mineralogy of the samples in this study. The rocks studied here include a travertine from Mammoth Formation that contains primarily calcite with some aragonite and gypsum and a siliceous sinter from Octopus Spring that contains a variety of poorly crystalline to amorphous silicate minerals. Calcite was detected readily in the travertine rock using any one of the techniques studied. The small amount of gypsum was uniquely identified using XRD, VNIR, and mid-IR, while the aragonite was uniquely identified using XRD and Raman. The siliceous sinter sample was more difficult to characterize using each of these techniques and a combination of all techniques was more useful than any single technique. Although XRD is the historical standard for mineral identification, it presents some challenges for remote investigations. Thermal properties are most useful for minerals with discrete thermal transitions. Raman spectroscopy is most effective for detecting polarized species such as CO₃, OH, and CH, and exhibits sharp bands for most highly crystalline minerals when abundant. Mid-IR spectroscopy is most useful in characterizing Si-O (and metal-O) bonds and also has the advantage that remote information about sample texture (e.g., particle size) can be determined. Mid-IR spectroscopy is also sensitive to structural OH, CO₃, and SO₄ bonds when abundant. VNIR spectroscopy is best for characterizing metal excitational bands and water, and is also a good technique for identification of structural OH, CO₃, SO₄, or CH bonds. Combining multiple techniques provides the most comprehensive information about mineralogy because of the different selection rules and particle size sensitivities, in addition to maximum coverage of excitational and vibrational bands at all wavelengths. This study of hydrothermal rocks from Yellowstone provides insights on how to combine information from multiple instruments to identify mineralogy and hence evidence of water on Mars.