A significant Spanish mineral for the geological and
astrobiological exploration of
Mars
J. Martinez-Frias, R. Lunar, Fernando Rull, J.A.
Rodriguez-Losada, A. Delgado & R. Frost
The SE Mediterranean margin of Spain is an
area of synchronous interaction of tectonic, volcanic, evaporitic and
mineralizing hydrothermal processes. The Jaroso Hydrothermal System (JHS) is an extremely interesting late-volcanic episode, and the Jaroso
Ravine, located in Sierra Almagrera (Cuevas del Almanzora area, Almeria
province, SE Spain), is the best outcrop where the mineralization (Jaroso
vein) and alteration, have attained the maximum surface
expression. Jarosite was first characterized as a new mineral on Earth in
Spain in 1852 in the Jaroso Ravine, which is the world type locality.
We suggest that the multistage
hydrothermal system of El Jaroso (Jaroso Hydrothermal System), which is responsible for both the Jaroso ores (especially rich in
jarosite) and the Las Herrerias sulfate-rich, shallow-marine laminites, could be
exploited as a potential model with important implications for the exploration
of Mars.
First Raman spectra of
natural jarosites from El Jaroso and RioTinto areas:
(Sierra Almagrera, Almeria province, Spain)
around 1880 Photo: Courtesy of Junta de
Andaluca
General view of El Jaroso Ravine (Sierra
Almagrera, Almeria province, Spain)
Photo: Web Los Lobos. Oasis de Almeria. Autor: Blas Guevara
Martinez
Lpez
Gutirrez, J., Martnez-Fras, J. & Lunar, R. (1993) "Relationships between
tectonics and base- and precious-metal mineralization in the Vera-Garrucha area
(SE Spain)" En: Fenoll, P., Torres Ruiz, J. & Gervilla, F. (Eds) Current
Research in Geology Applied to Ore deposits, Society of Geology Applied to
Mineral Deposits, I:735-739.
Alteration crust rich in jarosite and other sulfates at El
Jaroso Ravine, Sierra Almagrera (SE Spain)
Gypsum layers in the exhalites
of the Las Herrerias mineralization
(Jaroso Hydrothermal System)
Jarosite
samples
Alteration crust rich in jarosite
JHS sulfates and association of
halotrichite and jarosite (Frost
et al. (2007)
