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This collection highlights research on volcanism and the presence of (water-) ice across planets and rocky bodies of our Solar System, published in Nature Communications. Volcanic processes on other terrestrial bodies are thought to be driven by very similar mechanics and physico-chemical processes as on Earth – studying their deposits and morphological structures via rovers and/or satellites therefore allows scientists to draw implications on geologic processes, that may otherwise not be recognized.
The quest for finding water on other bodies than Earth touches one of the most intriguing questions not only in science but also in philosophy: are we alone? Life as we know it can only exist with the presence of water – scientists therefore search for traces of water and ice all across our Solar System.
Sulphate-rich sediments have been taken as evidence of surface water on Mars. Here, the authors show that cryo-concentrated brines chemically weather olivine minerals forming sulfate minerals at up to −60 °C, showing that cryogenic weathering and sulfate formation can occur under current Martian conditions.
Downslope sediment transport on Mars is reported, but the transport capacity of unstable water under low pressures is not well understood. Here, the authors present a newly discovered, highly reactive transportation mechanism that is only possible under low pressure environments.
Significant amounts of different perchlorate salts have been discovered on the surface of Mars. Here, the authors show that magnesium perchlorate has a major impact on water structure in solution, providing insight into how an aqueous fluid might exist under the sub-freezing conditions present on Mars.
The Eridania basin on Mars was once the site of a vast inland sea. Here, the authors show that the most ancient materials in the Eridania basin were formed in a deep-water hydrothermal setting and may be an analogue for early environmental conditions on Earth.
To understand the early Martian climate, the volume of the global Martian valley network is required. Here, the authors use a black top hat transformation method and find that the minimum global valley network volume is 1.74 × 1,014 m3 with a minimum cumulative volume of water required of 6.86 × 1,017 m3.
Little is known about the impacts of Mars’ contemporary dryness on weathering processes. Here, using iron oxidation estimates from the Mars Rover Opportunity, the authors quantify chemical weathering rates for Mars, finding appreciably slower rates compared with the lowest values on Earth.
The parent bodies of many chondritic meteorites experienced aqueous alteration, the chronology of which helps constrain their histories. Here, the authors synthesize a fayalite standard and report reliable ages of secondary fayalite, from which model accretion ages are determined and the place of accretion is inferred.
Recent samples have shown that the Moon's interior, previously thought to be anhydrous, contains water, yet how this water was delivered is unclear. Here, using isotopic analyses and modelling, Barnes et al. show that carbonaceous chondrite-type objects delivered >80% of the Moon's bulk water.
A unified model for the formation of martian rock types is required to understand Mars’s formation and evolution. Here the authors show that nakhlite and chassignite meteorites originate from melting of metasomatized depleted mantle lithosphere, whereas shergottite melts originate from deep plume sources.
Achondritic meteorites can record volcanism and crust formation on planetesimals in the early Solar System. Here, the authors date the Northwest Africa 11119 meteorite with an Al-Mg age of 4564.8 ± 0.3 Ma indicating that this is the earliest evidence of silicic volcanism in the Solar System to date.
Mantle partial melting produced the volcanic crust of Mercury. Here, the authors numerically model the formation of post-impact melt sheets and find that mantle convection was weak at around 3.7–3.8 Ga and that the melt sheets of Caloris and Rembrandt may contain partial melting of pristine mantle material.
Mars hosts the solar system’s largest volcanoes, but their formation rates remain poorly constrained. Here, the authors have measured the crystallization and ejection ages of meteorites from a Martian volcano and find that its growth rate was much slower than analogous volcanoes on Earth.
Studying craters on atmosphere-less bodies can unlock information about planetesimal histories. Here, Marchi et al. present results from the NASA Dawn mission to Ceres showing that craters >100–150 km in size are largely absent, and find that Ceres’ internal evolution is responsible for their absence.
Observations indicate that the southern hemisphere of Enceladus is geologically active, with spray containing Si nanoparticles being ejected from an underground ocean. Here, the authors report that experiments to constrain reaction conditions suggest the core is similar to that of carbonaceous chondrites.