^1,2John Carter,³Lucie Riu,¹François Poulet,¹Jean-Pierre Bibring,¹Yves Langevin,¹Brigitte Gondet
Icarus (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2022.115164]
¹Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), CNRS/Paris-Saclay University, France
²Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM), CNRS/Aix-Marseille University, France
³ESA-ESAC, Madrid, Spain
Copyright Elsevier

We describe the completion of the MOCAAS project providing a global repository of secondary minerals formed through interaction with water on Mars. This work is based on the analysis of orbital imaging spectroscopy data from the OMEGA/Mars Express and CRISM/MRO near-infrared instruments. A database and a set of high-resolution global maps (200 m/pix) are produced which provide a large collection of these “aqueous” secondary mineral deposits, most of which were not previously reported. Several aqueous mineral classes are discriminated including hydrated silicates, hydrated silica, sulfate and carbonate salts. A preliminary statistical analysis on the database of aqueous mineral deposits is carried out, revealing significantly more widespread and diverse aqueous alteration on Noachian and Hesperian Mars than previously seen. Higher resolution local scale studies are also carried out over current and prospective rover landing sites on Mars, providing enhanced sensitivity to mineral detection and reachable science targets. Collectively, the data presented here at all scales is expected to foster synergy between orbital and landed missions, particularly for future missions and to pinpoint prospective resources for human exploration.