Regolith: Difference between revisions
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'''Regolith''' is the layer of rocky or icy debris, [[sand]], and [[dust]] made by [[meteorites|meteoritic]] impact that forms the uppermost surface of planets, satellites and asteroids. It is a possible construction material in the form of [[brick]]s. Loose regolith may also be used as a [[radiation]] [[radiation shielding|shield]]. | '''Regolith''' is the layer of rocky or icy debris, [[sand]], and [[dust]] made by [[meteorites|meteoritic]] impact that forms the uppermost surface of planets, satellites and asteroids. It is a possible construction material in the form of [[brick]]s. Loose regolith may also be used as a [[radiation]] [[radiation shielding|shield]]. | ||
Landscapes with regolith formation have been found that look like they were shaped by the flow of water. | Landscapes with regolith formation have been found that look like they were shaped by the flow of water. Those formations were probably created by ''"gas-supported density flows"''. | ||
<ref>How the landscape is formed to the shape of floods: [http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/sci/fifthconf99/6005.pdf THE COLLAPSE ORIGIN OF DENSITY FLOWS ON MARS]</ref> | <ref>How the landscape is formed to the shape of floods: [http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/sci/fifthconf99/6005.pdf THE COLLAPSE ORIGIN OF DENSITY FLOWS ON MARS]</ref> | ||
== Mineral Composition == | |||
The below table gives estimates of mineral composition based on the soil sample measurements performed by two Mars probes. Only the 6 most abundant minerals are listed. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+Estimated abundance (weight %) of main components of Martian soil<ref>Bell JF, McSween HY, Crisp JA, Morris RV, Murchie SL, Bridges NT,...Soderblom L. (2000). ''Journal of Geophysical Research'', 105(E1), 1721-1755. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JE001060</nowiki></ref> | |||
! | |||
!SiO<sub>2</sub> | |||
!Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> | |||
!Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> | |||
!MgO | |||
!CaO | |||
!SO<sub>3</sub> | |||
|- | |||
|Viking | |||
|46.3 | |||
|19.4 | |||
|7.7 | |||
|6.4 | |||
|6.2 | |||
|7.9 | |||
|- | |||
|Pathfinder | |||
|48.6 | |||
|17.5 | |||
|8.3 | |||
|7.5 | |||
|6.3 | |||
|5.4 | |||
|} | |||
==Open Issues== | ==Open Issues== | ||
* How radioactive is regolith? | |||
* What are the compositions of the regolith near possible settlement sites? | *How radioactive is regolith? | ||
*What are the compositions of the regolith near possible settlement sites? | |||
==references== | ==references== | ||
<references/> | <references /> | ||
[[category:Geology]] | [[category:Geology]] | ||
[[category:ISRU]] | [[category:ISRU]] | ||
Revision as of 20:01, 25 November 2018
Regolith is the layer of rocky or icy debris, sand, and dust made by meteoritic impact that forms the uppermost surface of planets, satellites and asteroids. It is a possible construction material in the form of bricks. Loose regolith may also be used as a radiation shield.
Landscapes with regolith formation have been found that look like they were shaped by the flow of water. Those formations were probably created by "gas-supported density flows". [1]
Mineral Composition
The below table gives estimates of mineral composition based on the soil sample measurements performed by two Mars probes. Only the 6 most abundant minerals are listed.
| SiO2 | Fe2O3 | Al2O3 | MgO | CaO | SO3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viking | 46.3 | 19.4 | 7.7 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 7.9 |
| Pathfinder | 48.6 | 17.5 | 8.3 | 7.5 | 6.3 | 5.4 |
Open Issues
- How radioactive is regolith?
- What are the compositions of the regolith near possible settlement sites?
references
- ↑ How the landscape is formed to the shape of floods: THE COLLAPSE ORIGIN OF DENSITY FLOWS ON MARS
- ↑ Bell JF, McSween HY, Crisp JA, Morris RV, Murchie SL, Bridges NT,...Soderblom L. (2000). Journal of Geophysical Research, 105(E1), 1721-1755. https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JE001060