page_title: Chloride-bearing deposits on Mars
hierarchical_section_title: Chloride-bearing deposits on Mars
caption_attribution_description: English: Chloride deposit locations on Mars as determined by Mikki Osterloo et al. The inset shows deposits in the Terra Sirenum region. Colors in the inset represent elevation.
context_page_description: Across the southern highlands of Mars, approximately 640 sites of chloride-bearing deposits have been identified using the Thermal Emission Imaging System. These isolated, irregularly shaped patches have been dated to the older geologic periods on Mars: Noachian and Hesperian periods. On Earth, chlorides are known to form through aqueous processes. Similar processes are expected to be responsible for the formation of chloride deposits on Mars. The finding of these deposits is significant in that it provides further evidence for the presence of surface or subsurface water in ancient Mars.
context_section_description: Across the southern highlands of Mars, approximately 640 sites of chloride-bearing deposits have been identified using the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). These isolated, irregularly shaped patches (approximate size range of 0.33 – 1300 km², with an average size of 24 km²) have been dated to the older geologic periods on Mars: Noachian (4.5 – 3.5 billion years ago) and Hesperian (3.5 – 2.9 billion years ago) periods.  On Earth, chlorides are known to form through aqueous processes.  Similar processes are expected to be responsible for the formation of chloride deposits on Mars. The finding of these deposits is significant in that it provides further evidence for the presence of surface or subsurface water in ancient Mars.
caption: Locations of chloride-bearing deposits (black) overlain on a Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) elevation map (grayscale). Inset is of a region in Terra Sirenum investigated by Davila et al. (2011). Color represents elevation as determined by MOLA (red is higher elevation, yellow is lower elevation).
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