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The compositions of rocks and soils on Mars shown here have been superseded by the results presented in: cover.gif Rieder, R., et al., 1997, The chemical composition of the Martian soil and rocks returned by the mobile Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer: Preliminary results from the X-ray mode, Science, 278: 1771-1774.


Mars Pathfinder

Analysis of Martian Samples by the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer: Preliminary Results
Comparison with SNCs and the Earth

Mars

Earth

A-3, Rock
"Barnacle Bill"
A-5, Soil SNCs
(Mars Meteorites)
Continental Crust Oceanic Crust
Average Sediments
weight % weight % weight % weight % weight % weight %
MgO 3.1 8.6 9.3 - 31.6 3.1 3.1 7.7
Al2O3 12.4 10.1 0.7 - 12.0 15.2 13.0 15.6
SiO2 55.0 43.8 38.2 - 52.7 60.2 50.0 50.7
K2O* 1.4 0.7 0.022 - 0.19 2.9 2.0 0.17
CaO 4.6 5.3 0.6 - 15.8 5.5 8.4 11.4
TiO2 0.7 0.7 0.1 - 1.8 0.7 0.7 1.5
MnO* 0.9 0.6 0.44 - 0.55 0.1 0.1 0.16
FeO 12.7 17.5 17.6 - 27.1 6.05 5.5 9.9
FeO/MnO 14.1 29.2 37.0 - 51.5 - - -

*Values for potassium (K) and manganese (Mn) are probably too high and subject to revision after further analysis.


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