Luminescence Dating and Sedimentary Evolution of Martian Analog Environments

This thesis is part of the IN-TIME project (In-Situ Instrument for Mars and Earth Dating Applications), funded under the European Union's H2020-MSCA-RISE-2018 research program (G.A. n. 823934). The project brings together a consortium of seven European organizations and industries from Italy (University of Sassari - UNISS; University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara - UNICH), Spain (Complutense University of Madrid - UCM; Sensia Solutions - SL), and Cyprus (Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation - CSEO; Space System Solutions - S3 - LTD), coordinated by ALMA Sistemi SRL, with the University of Texas as an associated U.S. partner. The main objective of the IN-TIME project is to develop a miniaturized instrument capable of dating Martian geological deposits in-situ using the Luminescence technique. This pioneering technology has wide-ranging applications, including planetary exploration, but also serves as a portable dating tool in geology and archaeology on Earth. Additionally, it can be used for risk assessment in emergency dosimetry and nuclear mass-casualty events. Another key objective of the project is to explore the feasibility of dating basalt-derived sedimentary deposits in Martian analogue environments. Accurate age determination on Mars is essential to better understand its surface and atmospheric evolution. The ability to determine the timing and frequency of geological and atmospheric processes is crucial for hazard assessment, vital for the planning of future missions, deployments, and human exploration. However, current methods of dating recent Martian events, particularly crater counting, face significant uncertainties, especially for younger surfaces (around 1 million years). Although NASA and ESA are planning a Mars Sample Return mission by 2030, detailed analysis of returned samples may take time. In the interim, developing in-situ dating capabilities offers a more cost-effective and timely approach. This thesis aligns with the second objective of the IN-TIME project, focusing on: - Identifying and validating the most suitable protocol for dating Martian analogue sediments, particularly those derived from basalt, using luminescence techniques. - Reconstructing late Quaternary depositional environments and paleoclimatic evolution in a Martian analogue context.