Layer
Name
Sublimation mantle
Order
2
Type of layer
other
Texture
other
Type of porosity
particulate
Porosity
0.9975 $\pm$ 0.0005
Density
0.005 $\pm$ 0.001 $g.cm^{-3}$
Comments
The layer is a porous foam-like structure, made of "ribbons" of smectite (only few micrometers thick) interlaced or connected together (see Poch et al., 2016b). After sublimation of the water, the places previously occupied by the water crystals is now empty, resulting in an extremely high porosity of the smectite residue, also called sublimation mantle. The observed ribbons are probably the relics of the water crystals interfaces.
Formation mode
fractionated sublimation
Rate
0.27 $\pm$ 0.02 $mm/h$
Comments
The layer was produced by sublimation of the ice in the lower layer.
Number
1
Arrangement
single material
Materials
  Name Arrangement Mass (g) Mass fraction Abundance comments
Ribbons of smectite 1.0