Sulfur on Mars

The sulfur cycle is arguably the most important geochemical cycle on Mars because the transfer of sulfur places limits on Mars’s differentiation processes, sedimentary, geomorphic and aqueous processes, past climate, and current and past habitability. The presence of sulfur-rich compositions on Mars is suggested by meteorite data, in situ bulk chemical and mineralogical analyses, remote sensing data from dust and surfaces, and geochemical models. The inferred sulfur-rich nature of Mars may have resulted in an Fe–(Ni–)S core that has been liquid throughout Mars’s history. On the surface, Mg- and Ca-sulfates are widespread and Fe3+-sulfates are found locally. It is likely that these minerals occur in a variety of hydration states and host much of the mineral-bound hydrogen in the Martian subsurface.

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December 2025 --The Variscan Orogeny in Europe – Understanding Supercontinent Formation

The Variscan orogen formed between 380 and 300 million years ago through several accretionary and collisional cycles, culminating with the construction of the Pangea supercontinent. This process occurred via sequential opening and closure of oceanic basins, synchronous detachment of Gondwana derived continental ribbons, and their outboard amalgamation onto the Laurussia margin. The Variscan orogen is rather unique compared with other orogenic belts on Earth: its overthickened and dominantly magmatic crust in the central belt, surprisingly minor mantle involvement in the magmatic and geodynamic processes, coherent and pulsed magmatism along the collision suture, and its complex accretionary history. Because its final product, Pangea, is the youngest and best-understood supercontinent on Earth, the Variscan orogeny offers clues for understanding the mechanisms of supercontinent formation.