行星盐类研究的重要性

 人类已在火星、木卫二及土卫二上发现了大量盐类矿物,木卫三、木卫四也可能有盐类存在,可见盐类在行星普遍存在.盐类研究对于行星科学具有重要意义.首先,盐类光谱研究直接帮助研究者对探测数据进行解译,确定盐类矿物种类,在探测数据不明确的情况下,盐类稳定性质等还可以帮助限定盐类矿物在探测区域出现的可能性;其次,盐类矿物是行星多层圈相互作用的产物,对行星盐类的研究可以获取行星相关过程中的地质历史信息,根据所研究盐类起源的不同,盐类研究有助于理解行星内部的演化、表面水溶液环境、大气成分和结构;此外,盐类起源是生命起源的基础,行星盐类研究是地外生命探索的关键步骤之一.本文综述2008 年至今开展的火星盐类类比研究进展.

Importance of Salt Studies in Planetary Science

Salts were found on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus, and were indicated to exist on Ganymede, Callisto, thus the salts might be common on planetary bodies. Salt studies are, therefore, important for the planetary science. First, the spectroscopic studies of salts serve references for the phase identifications by the analysis of the mission data, and the stability properties of salts can help identify the possible salt phases when the mission data do not give clear indications. Second, salts are the products of interaction between spheres of a planet, thus studies of planetary salts can provide rich information on the geological history of a planet. On the basis of their different origins, salt studies can help understanding the planetary interior, the surface aqueous processes, and the atmosphere. In addition, the origin of salts is the foundation for life occurrence, thus the planetary salt studies are one of the key steps for searching extraterrestrial life. Since 2008, Chinese scientists have carried out analogue studies on Martian salts, thus in this paper, we make a brief review of the analogue studies in the world.