Salts carry rich information about water related geological processes and aqueous environments,and further are closely related to the origin of life, thus salts on other planets have attracted focus of numerous studies, and the study of Mars salts deserves to be one of the major science goals for future China Mars exploration. For example, jarosite has been detected from mudstone at the landing region, gypsum vein in mudstone and in the unconformable surface have confirmed by curiosity rover, and nitrates have been indicated from windblown deposits and from sedimentary rocks. In addition, perchlorate has been identified by CRISM close to the recurring slope lineae, indicating that the flow of liquid perchlorate brine may account for this recently formed surface feature. All these new findings address again the importance of salts for Mars science. Finally, we propose several key science questions about Mars salts based on current knowledge, and give some prospects for future China Mars exploration.

Mars  /  salts  /  Curiosity rover  /  geological history