Editing Module:Carbonate (section)

==Presence outside Earth==
It is generally thought that the presence of carbonates in [[Rock (geology)|rock]] is strong evidence for the presence of liquid water. Recent observations of the [[planetary nebula]] [[NGC 6302]] show evidence for carbonates in space,<ref>Kemper, F., Molster, F.J., Jager, C. and Waters, L.B.F.M. (2001) The mineral composition and spatial distribution of the dust ejecta of NGC 6302. ''Astronomy & Astrophysics'' '''394''', 679–690.</ref> where aqueous alteration similar to that on Earth is unlikely. Other minerals have been proposed which would fit the observations.

Small amounts of [[Carbonates on Mars|carbonate deposits]] have been found on Mars via spectral imaging <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fairén |first1=Alberto G. |last2=Fernández-Remolar |first2=David |last3=Dohm |first3=James M. |last4=Baker |first4=Victor R. |last5=Amils |first5=Ricardo |date=September 2004 |title=Inhibition of carbonate synthesis in acidic oceans on early Mars |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/nature02911 |journal=Nature |volume=431 |issue=7007 |pages=423–426 |doi=10.1038/nature02911 |pmid=15386004 |bibcode=2004Natur.431..423F |issn=1476-4687}}</ref> and Martian meteorites also contain small amounts. Groundwater may have existed at [[Gusev crater|Gusev]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Squyres |first1=S. W. |last2=Aharonson |first2=O. |last3=Clark |first3=B.C. |last4=Cohen |first4=B. A. |last5=Crumpler |first5=L. |last6=De Souza |first6=P. A. |last7=Farrand |first7=W. H. |last8=Gellert |first8=R. |last9=Grant |first9=J. |display-authors=1 |year=2007 |title=Pyroclastic Activity at Home Plate in Gusev Crater, Mars |journal=Science |volume=316 |issue=5825 |pages=738–742 |bibcode=2007Sci...316..738S |doi=10.1126/science.1139045 |pmid=17478719 |last10=Grotzinger |first10=J. P. |last11=Haldemann |first11=A. F. C. |last12=Johnson |first12=J. R. |last13=Klingelhofer |first13=G. |last14=Lewis |first14=K. W. |last15=Li |first15=R. |last16=McCoy |first16=T. |last17=McEwen |first17=A. S. |last18=McSween |first18=H. Y. |last19=Ming |first19=D. W. |last20=Moore |first20=J. M. |last21=Morris |first21=R. V. |last22=Parker |first22=T. J. |last23=Rice |first23=J. W. |last24=Ruff |first24=S. |last25=Schmidt |first25=M. |last26=Schroder |first26=C. |last27=Soderblom |first27=L. A. |last28=Yen |first28=A.|url=https://authors.library.caltech.edu/36849/7/Squyres.SOM.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922134035/http://authors.library.caltech.edu/36849/7/Squyres.SOM.pdf |archive-date=2017-09-22 |url-status=live |hdl=2060/20070016011 |s2cid=9687521 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> and [[Meridiani Planum]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Squyres |first1=S. W. |last2=Arvidson |first2=R. E. |last3=Bollen |first3=D. |last4=Bell |first4=J. F. |last5=Brückner |first5=J. |last6=Cabrol |first6=N. A. |last7=Calvin |first7=W. M. |last8=Carr |first8=M. H. |last9=Christensen |first9=P. R. |display-authors=1 |year=2006 |title=Overview of the Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover Mission to Meridiani Planum: Eagle Crater to Purgatory Ripple |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |volume=111 |issue=E12 |bibcode=2006JGRE..11112S12S |doi=10.1029/2006JE002771 |last10=Clark |first10=B. C. |last11=Crumpler |first11=L. |last12=Des Marais |first12=D. J. |last13=d'Uston |first13=C. |last14=Economou |first14=T. |last15=Farmer |first15=J. |last16=Farrand |first16=W. H. |last17=Folkner |first17=W. |last18=Gellert |first18=R. |last19=Glotch |first19=T. D. |last20=Golombek |first20=M. |last21=Gorevan |first21=S. |last22=Grant |first22=J. A. |last23=Greeley |first23=R. |last24=Grotzinger |first24=J. |last25=Herkenhoff |first25=K. E. |last26=Hviid |first26=S. |last27=Johnson |first27=J. R. |last28=Klingelhöfer |first28=G. |last29=Knoll |first29=A. H. |last30=Landis |first30=G.|pages=n/a |url=http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/17165/1/Squyres2006_Overview_of_the_Opportunity_Mars_Exploration_Rover_Mission_to_Meridiani_Planum-Eagle_Crater_to_Purgatory_Ripple.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808163157/http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/17165/1/Squyres2006_Overview_of_the_Opportunity_Mars_Exploration_Rover_Mission_to_Meridiani_Planum-Eagle_Crater_to_Purgatory_Ripple.pdf |archive-date=2017-08-08 |url-status=live |hdl=1893/17165 |doi-access=free}}</ref>