Raman-XRD analysis of selected samples from Chamorga (Anaga Massif)-Tenerife (Spain): planetary and astrobiological implications for Mars

SANZ-ARRANZ, A; SANSANO, A; RULL PEREZ, FERNANDO; MEDINA, JESUS; MARTÍNEZ-FRIAS, J; LALLA, EMMANUEL; AQUILANO, ROBERTO; RULL PEREZ, FERNANDO

The Woodlands, Texas

Congreso; 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference; 2016

LPSC

Several volcanic places have been used as possible terrestrial analogues taking into account the volcanic activities and the huge variety of geological processes discovered on Mars heretofore. Thus, the improvement of the understanding the geological diversity of these terrestrial analogues will help us to: (1) to increase our knowledge of the past Martian volcanic activities and (2) to test the new instrumentation for future space missions such as ESA-ExoMars mission, the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals Instrument on NASA (SHERLOC) or SuperCam on NASA-France consortium for the NASA mission in 2020. The Island of Tenerife show a huge diversity of volcanic landscapes, volcanic channels and several emplacement of lave deposits with strong similarities to the volcanoes on the red planet (geomorphology). However, Tenerife also presents several mineralogical similarities due to the existence of the primary and secondary mineralogy caused alteration processes and rock/ fluid interactions (marine, hydrothermal and meteoritic water). In this regard , Tenerife´s geology have all major conditions as Martian volcanic analogue considering the geological complexity and heterogeneity of the volcanic surface detailed before.