X-ray fluorescence spectrometer analyzes minerals and soils on Mars

X-ray analysis is a strong tool for speculating on the chemical and physical weathering processes on Mars. The elemental compositions of the bright dust, dark soil and other soil components collected at different sites on Mars, such as the Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum, have been determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometers fitted to the Mars Explorer Rovers. A comparison between the results obtained at both sites generally shows that the bright dust is global in nature and not dominated by the composition of local rocks, and also that the dark soil has the same origin, while other soil components are fairly different. For more information, see the paper, "An integrated view of the chemistry and mineralogy of martian soils", A. S. Yen et al., Nature, 436, 49-54 (2005).