Assimilation of Fossil Hydrothermal Sulfide by Early Amazonian Martian Magmas: Implications for Ore Mineralization on Mars
Martian magmas would interact with any hydrosphere present, whether a global ocean [e.g., 1] or an icy (subterranean) hydrosphere [2] creating hydrothermal systems. Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) ores, with Fe-Zn-Pb sulfides, created by hydrothermal deposition associated with a wide range of volcanism would be expected on Mars [3]. Similar to terrestrial komatiites, martian igneous rocks could generate orthomagmatic Ni-sulfide ore deposits by immiscible sulfide liquid segregation [4]. For this to occur, a martian magma would need to flow over (or intrude into) a pre-existing sulfur-rich formation. Here, we elaborate on the first evidence [5-6] of potential orthomagmatic mineralization in two Early Amazonian (2.4 Ga) igneous meteorites [7-8] involving a threestep process: i) formation of Fe-Zn-Pb sulfides, (ii) assimilated by the 2.4 Ga magmas leading to (iii) formation of orthomagmatic Ni-sulfide deposits. These deposits may remain on Mars, but the telltale signs of Zn-Pb enrichment and Ni-Co depletion in the two meteorites provide important insights into martian geology.