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

Kód výsledku v 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>

Nalezeny alternativní kódy

RIV/67985530:_____/25:00617452

Výsledek na webu

<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>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

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

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

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.

Název v anglickém jazyce

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

Popis výsledku anglicky

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.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

20402 - Chemical process engineering

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/EF18_053%2F0016986" target="_blank" >EF18_053/0016986: Posílení mezinárodní spolupráce na Geofyzikálním ústavu AV ČR, v.v.i.</a><br>

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

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

Název periodika

Communications Earth & Environment

ISSN

2662-4435

e-ISSN

2662-4435

Svazek periodika

6

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

1

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

13

Strana od-do

116

Kód UT WoS článku

001422159400001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85218489380