Ultramafic float rocks at Jezero crater (Mars): Excavation of lower crustal rocks or mantle peridotites by impact cratering?

O. Beyssac; E. Clave; O. Forni; A. Udry; A.C. Pascuzzo; E. Dehouck; P.S.A. Beck; L. Mandon; C. Quantin-Nataf; N. Mangold; G. Lopez-Reyes; C. Royer; O. Gasnault; Travis S.J. Gabriel; L.C. Kah; S. Schroder; J.R. Johnson; T. Bertrand; B. Chide; T. Fouchet; J.I. Simon; F. Montmessin; A. Fau; S. Maurice; R.C. Wiens; A. Cousin

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119746

Ultramafic float rocks at Jezero crater (Mars): Excavation of lower crustal rocks or mantle peridotites by impact cratering?

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

By: O. Beyssac, E. Clave, O. Forni, A. Udry, A.C. Pascuzzo, E. Dehouck, P.S.A. Beck, L. Mandon, C. Quantin-Nataf, N. Mangold, G. Lopez-Reyes, C. Royer, O. Gasnault, Travis S.J. Gabriel, L.C. Kah, S. Schroder, J.R. Johnson, T. Bertrand, B. Chide, T. Fouchet, J.I. Simon, F. Montmessin, A. Fau, S. Maurice, R.C. Wiens, and A. Cousin

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119746

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Abstract

Based on observation and data from meteorites and in situ scientific missions, experiments as well as models, the Martian mantle is assumed to share some compositional and mineralogical affinity with the terrestrial mantle. However, there might be subtle differences like the Martian mantle being more ferroan. Yet, we do not have any direct analysis of a Martian mantle rock to confirm this assumption. NASA’s Perseverance rover found olivine-rich boulder-sized float rocks on the upper Jezero fan (Mars). These boulders have an ultramafic composition and their mineralogy is dominantly composed of Fo_73±3 olivine with high-Mg orthopyroxene, Cr-rich Ti-Fe oxides and minor plagioclase and high-Ca pyroxene. Microtextural and petrological analysis reveals that these minerals crystallized at equilibrium. In addition, these boulders are different from all the bedrocks analyzed by Perseverance along its traverse which are crustal igneous rocks and sediments. Comparing our data to Martian meteorites and available Mars bulk silicate models (BSM), we discuss that these boulders could represent primitive melts and/or lower crustal material, and we specifically hypothesize that they could be mantle peridotites. We propose that these putative mantle rocks could have been excavated by the succession of impacts from the shallow mantle or lower crust in the Isidis region where Jezero crater is located. These olivine-rich boulders could thereby constitute the first direct analysis of a Martian mantle rock.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Ultramafic float rocks at Jezero crater (Mars): Excavation of lower crustal rocks or mantle peridotites by impact cratering?
Series title	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
DOI	10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119746
Volume	675
Year Published	2025
Language	English
Publisher	Elsevier
Contributing office(s)	Astrogeology Science Center
Description	119746, 14 p.