Presence of hydrocarbons on Mars: A possibility

What is it about?

There is a fair degree of geological similarity between Mars's internal structure, orbital cycle, and axis tilt and that of Earth. Early plate tectonics, along with subaerial volcanism, might have emitted oxygen on Mars, as evident in Earth's geological history during the Archaean-Proterozoic transition. A comparative geological phenomenon between the Meso-Neoproterozoic (1600-540 million years) petroleum geology of Earth and the equivalent Amazonian and older periods of Mars has been analyzed in the light of the envisaged hydrocarbon generation and entrapment on early Mars.

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Why is it important?

The evidence of the existence of the fluvial system has been observed from the Late Hesperion (3.5 billion years) through the Amazonian periods. The depositional morphologies, similar to that of on Earth, like alluvial fans, debris flow fans, deltas, lacustrine fans, and aeolian bedforms have been interpreted to imply an active sedimentation process on Mars. Primarily conglomerate, sandstone, stromatolite and limestone constitute the reservoir rocks and hydrocarbons are accumulated in structurally controlled traps with shale and evaporite acting as effective seal rocks. By analyzing the petroleum systems of Earth during Meso-Neoproterozoic (1600-540 million years) time, the research paper enumerates that Earth's analogous early hydrocarbons might have been generated and preserved in ideal locales like the ancient Valles Marineris rift and crater-induced basins. It is envisaged that the Valles Marineris rift basin developed along the late Nochian-Early Hesperian tectonic grain and characterized by large-scale strike-slip faulting during the Late Amazonian time (0.7 Ga or younger) could be the Proterozoic equivalent petroliferous rift province of Earth and reactivated at a later time.

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