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Interesting. Thanks. For those of us who didn't know what nontronite
clay is....
> According to the authors the spectra of the Meridiani bedrock is best
> matched by a composition that includes 10% nontronite clay.
We note from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontronite
>>Nontronite forms from the weathering of biotite and basalts, precipitation of
>>iron and silicon rich hydrothermal fluids and in deep sea hydrothermal vents
>>(Bischoff, 1972, Clays and Clay Minerals, 20:217-223; Eggleton 1975 American
>>Mineralogist, 60:1063-1068). Some evidence suggests that microorganisms may
>>play an important role in their formation (Kohler et al., 1994 Clays and Clay
>>Minerals, 42:680-701).<<
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