Small amounts of dissolved salts increase the mobility of mud flows on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985858%3A_____%2F25%3A00617452" target="_blank" >RIV/67985858:_____/25:00617452 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/67985530:_____/25:00617452

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02110-w" target="_blank" >https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02110-w</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02110-w" target="_blank" >10.1038/s43247-025-02110-w</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Small amounts of dissolved salts increase the mobility of mud flows on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies

Original language description

Sedimentary volcanism is a widespread geological phenomenon on Earth. Similar processes are theorized to occur on extraterrestrial bodies like Mars, potentially representing surface expressions of subsurface liquid water reservoirs. As we are currently missing ground truth, recognizing signs of extraterrestrial mud volcanism is based on comparative analysis with terrestrial mudflows. Despite the ubiquitous presence of salts on planetary surfaces, it remains unclear how different dissolved salts in mud mixtures influence the behavior of erupted mud. Our study integrates laboratory experiments, thermodynamic calculations, and rheometry measurements to investigate how concentrations of NaCl, MgSO4, Na2SO4, and CaSO4 affect such behavior. The results show that 10 wt.% MgSO4 and only 2.5 wt.% NaCl maximizes mud propagation, producing ropy patterns and narrow flows, while higher salt concentrations result in sheet-like flows covering wider areas. When the mud is supersaturated in salt, the liquid state is prolonged but propagation is reduced. Hence, mud salinity has a significant influence on mud flow behavior in low-pressure environments, reflecting the balance between anti-freezing effects and viscosity-compositional effects. Our experimental results are limited to bentonite muds, yet the sensitivity to salt type/concentration is also expected for other muds, leading to a much broader range of morphology, longevity and spatial dispersion than previously assumed.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

20402 - Chemical process engineering

Project

<a href="/en/project/EF18_053%2F0016986" target="_blank" >EF18_053/0016986: Strengthening international cooperation at Institute of Geophysics CAS</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Communications Earth & Environment

ISSN

2662-4435

e-ISSN

2662-4435

Volume of the periodical

6

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

116

UT code for WoS article

001422159400001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85218489380