Search

Your search keyword '"Hurowitz, Joel A"' showing total 24 results
Start Over Author "Hurowitz, Joel A" Topic mars
24 results on '"Hurowitz, Joel A"'

1. Water alteration of rocks and soils on Mars at the Spirit rover site in Gusev crater.

Author

Haskin LA, Wang A, Jolliff BL, McSween HY, Clark BC, Des Marais DJ, McLennan SM, Tosca NJ, Hurowitz JA, Farmer JD, Yen A, Squyres SW, Arvidson RE, Klingelhöfer G, Schröder C, de Souza PA Jr, Ming DW, Gellert R, Zipfel J, Brückner J, Bell JF 3rd, Herkenhoff K, Christensen PR, Ruff S, Blaney D, Gorevan S, Cabrol NA, Crumpler L, Grant J, and Soderblom L

Subjects
Bromine analysis, Chlorine analysis, Sulfur analysis, Extraterrestrial Environment chemistry, Geologic Sediments chemistry, Mars, Soil analysis, Water chemistry
Abstract

Gusev crater was selected as the landing site for the Spirit rover because of the possibility that it once held a lake. Thus one of the rover's tasks was to search for evidence of lake sediments. However, the plains at the landing site were found to be covered by a regolith composed of olivine-rich basaltic rock and windblown 'global' dust. The analyses of three rock interiors exposed by the rock abrasion tool showed that they are similar to one another, consistent with having originated from a common lava flow. Here we report the investigation of soils, rock coatings and rock interiors by the Spirit rover from sol (martian day) 1 to sol 156, from its landing site to the base of the Columbia hills. The physical and chemical characteristics of the materials analysed provide evidence for limited but unequivocal interaction between water and the volcanic rocks of the Gusev plains. This evidence includes the softness of rock interiors that contain anomalously high concentrations of sulphur, chlorine and bromine relative to terrestrial basalts and martian meteorites; sulphur, chlorine and ferric iron enrichments in multilayer coatings on the light-toned rock Mazatzal; high bromine concentration in filled vugs and veins within the plains basalts; positive correlations between magnesium, sulphur and other salt components in trench soils; and decoupling of sulphur, chlorine and bromine concentrations in trench soils compared to Gusev surface soils, indicating chemical mobility and separation.

Published
2005
Full Text
View/download PDF

2. An integrated view of the chemistry and mineralogy of martian soils.

Author

Yen AS, Gellert R, Schröder C, Morris RV, Bell JF 3rd, Knudson AT, Clark BC, Ming DW, Crisp JA, Arvidson RE, Blaney D, Brückner J, Christensen PR, DesMarais DJ, de Souza PA Jr, Economou TE, Ghosh A, Hahn BC, Herkenhoff KE, Haskin LA, Hurowitz JA, Joliff BL, Johnson JR, Klingelhöfer G, Madsen MB, McLennan SM, McSween HY, Richter L, Rieder R, Rodionov D, Soderblom L, Squyres SW, Tosca NJ, Wang A, Wyatt M, and Zipfel J

Subjects
Bromine analysis, Iron Compounds analysis, Magnesium Compounds analysis, Minerals analysis, Minerals chemistry, Nickel analysis, Silicates analysis, Silicates chemistry, Spectrophotometry, Infrared, Spectroscopy, Mossbauer, Water analysis, Water chemistry, Dust analysis, Extraterrestrial Environment chemistry, Geologic Sediments chemistry, Mars, Soil analysis
Abstract

The mineralogical and elemental compositions of the martian soil are indicators of chemical and physical weathering processes. Using data from the Mars Exploration Rovers, we show that bright dust deposits on opposite sides of the planet are part of a global unit and not dominated by the composition of local rocks. Dark soil deposits at both sites have similar basaltic mineralogies, and could reflect either a global component or the general similarity in the compositions of the rocks from which they were derived. Increased levels of bromine are consistent with mobilization of soluble salts by thin films of liquid water, but the presence of olivine in analysed soil samples indicates that the extent of aqueous alteration of soils has been limited. Nickel abundances are enhanced at the immediate surface and indicate that the upper few millimetres of soil could contain up to one per cent meteoritic material.

Published
2005
Full Text
View/download PDF

3. Magnetite Survivability and Non‐Stoichiometric Magnetite Formation in Presence of Oxyhalogen Brines on Mars.

Author

Mitra, Kaushik, Bahl, Yatharth, Ledingham, Greg J., Hernandez‐Robles, Andrei, Stevanovic, Ana, Westover, Gavin, and Hurowitz, Joel A.

Subjects
FERRIC oxide, IRON oxides, IRON sulfides, ENERGY minerals, MAGNETITE, BROMATES
Abstract

The mixed Fe(II)/Fe(III) mineral magnetite [Fe3O4] of various stoichiometric and non‐stoichiometric compositions have been reported in Martian soils and rocks by several rover missions. Magnetite is an important paleomagnetic indicator mineral and can serve as a 'biogeobattery' as a consequence of its magnetic properties and the mixed valence state of iron in its structure. Here, we assess the extent of oxidative weathering of magnetite in presence of chlorate and bromate containing solutions that are likely important oxidants on Mars. Oxyhalogen species, chlorate and bromate, produced non‐stoichiometric magnetite [Fe(II)/Fe(III) < 0.5] in Mars‐relevant, near‐neutral pH fluids; no other ferric minerals were produced. The same results were observed in highly acidic fluids with or without oxyhalogens. Owing to its resistance to extensive oxidation, magnetite can serve as an important archive of geochemical, paleomagnetic, and astrobiological information in samples that will be returned by the Mars Sample Return mission. Plain Language Summary: Magnetite is an iron oxide that contains both Fe(II) and Fe(III) in its crystal structure. The Fe(II) to Fe(III) ratio in an ideal (i.e., stoichiometric) magnetite is 0.5, that decreases as Fe(II) in its structure oxidizes to Fe(III) thereby forming non‐ideal (i.e., non‐stoichiometric) magnetite. Owing to its unique structure, magnetite can serve as an important paleomagnetic indicator mineral and a source of energy for microorganisms. Therefore, understanding the survivability of magnetite in presence of the harsh oxidizing chemical environment on Mars is important. Here, we conduct laboratory experiments in Mars‐like fluids to test the reactivity of magnetite in presence of strong and effective oxidants that have previously been shown to be active on Mars. Our results show that magnetite is resistant to extensive oxidation in presence of chlorate and bromate solutions to an extent that is much greater than other Fe(II) minerals like iron sulfides, and forms non‐stoichiometric magnetite making it a useful target for analyses of samples from the Mars Sample Return mission aimed at understanding Mars' magnetic history and habitability. Key Points: Magnetite shows resistance to oxidation by oxyhalogen compounds (chlorate and bromate) in Mars‐relevant fluidsNon‐stoichiometric magnetite on Mars may be formed by aqueous alteration of stoichiometric magnetite by oxyhalogen compoundsMagnetite likely preserves geochemical, paleomagnetic and astrobiological information and is an important target mineral in Mars return samples [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
Full Text
View/download PDF

4. Mars 2020 Mission Overview

Author

Farley, Kenneth A., Williford, Kenneth H., Stack, Kathryn M., Bhartia, Rohit, Chen, Al, de la Torre, Manuel, Hand, Kevin, Goreva, Yulia, Herd, Christopher D. K., Hueso, Ricardo, Liu, Yang, Maki, Justin N., Martinez, German, Moeller, Robert C., Nelessen, Adam, Newman, Claire E., Nunes, Daniel, Ponce, Adrian, Spanovich, Nicole, Willis, Peter A., Beegle, Luther W., Bell, III, James F., Brown, Adrian J., Hamran, Svein-Erik, Hurowitz, Joel A., Maurice, Sylvestre, Paige, David A., Rodriguez-Manfredi, Jose A., Schulte, Mitch, and Wiens, Roger C.

Published
2020
Full Text
View/download PDF

5. PIXL: Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry

Author

Allwood, Abigail C., Wade, Lawrence A., Foote, Marc C., Elam, William Timothy, Hurowitz, Joel A., Battel, Steven, Dawson, Douglas E., Denise, Robert W., Ek, Eric M., Gilbert, Martin S., King, Matthew E., Liebe, Carl Christian, Parker, Todd, Pedersen, David A. K., Randall, David P., Sharrow, Robert F., Sondheim, Michael E., Allen, George, Arnett, Kenneth, Au, Mitchell H., Basset, Christophe, Benn, Mathias, Bousman, John C., Braun, David, Calvet, Robert J., Clark, Benton, Cinquini, Luca, Conaby, Sterling, Conley, Henry A., Davidoff, Scott, Delaney, Jenna, Denver, Troelz, Diaz, Ernesto, Doran, Gary B., Ervin, Joan, Evans, Michael, Flannery, David O., Gao, Ning, Gross, Johannes, Grotzinger, John, Hannah, Brett, Harris, Jackson T., Harris, Cathleen M., He, Yejun, Heirwegh, Christopher M., Hernandez, Christina, Hertzberg, Eric, Hodyss, Robert P., Holden, James R., Hummel, Christopher, Jadusingh, Matthew A., Jørgensen, John L., Kawamura, Jonathan H., Kitiyakara, Amarit, Kozaczek, Kris, Lambert, James L., Lawson, Peter R., Liu, Yang, Luchik, Thomas S., Macneal, Kristen M., Madsen, Soren N., McLennan, Scott M., McNally, Patrick, Meras, Patrick L., Muller, Richard E., Napoli, Jamie, Naylor, Bret J., Nemere, Peter, Ponomarev, Igor, Perez, Raul M., Pootrakul, Napat, Romero, Raul A., Rosas, Rogelio, Sachs, Jared, Schaefer, Rembrandt T., Schein, Michael E., Setterfield, Timothy P., Singh, Vritika, Song, Eugenie, Soria, Mary M., Stek, Paul C., Tallarida, Nicholas R., Thompson, David R., Tice, Michael M., Timmermann, Lars, Torossian, Violet, Treiman, Allan, Tsai, Shihchuan, Uckert, Kyle, Villalvazo, Juan, Wang, Mandy, Wilson, Daniel W., Worel, Shana C., Zamani, Payam, Zappe, Mike, Zhong, Fang, and Zimmerman, Richard

Published
2020
Full Text
View/download PDF

6. Photogeologic Map of the Perseverance Rover Field Site in Jezero Crater Constructed by the Mars 2020 Science Team

Author

Stack, Kathryn M., Williams, Nathan R., Calef, III, Fred, Sun, Vivian Z., Williford, Kenneth H., Farley, Kenneth A., Eide, Sigurd, Flannery, David, Hughes, Cory, Jacob, Samantha R., Kah, Linda C., Meyen, Forrest, Molina, Antonio, Nataf, Cathy Quantin, Rice, Melissa, Russell, Patrick, Scheller, Eva, Seeger, Christina H., Abbey, William J., Adler, Jacob B., Amundsen, Hans, Anderson, Ryan B., Angel, Stanley M., Arana, Gorka, Atkins, James, Barrington, Megan, Berger, Tor, Borden, Rose, Boring, Beau, Brown, Adrian, Carrier, Brandi L., Conrad, Pamela, Dypvik, Henning, Fagents, Sarah A., Gallegos, Zachary E., Garczynski, Brad, Golder, Keenan, Gomez, Felipe, Goreva, Yulia, Gupta, Sanjeev, Hamran, Svein-Erik, Hicks, Taryn, Hinterman, Eric D., Horgan, Briony N., Hurowitz, Joel, Johnson, Jeffrey R., Lasue, Jeremie, Kronyak, Rachel E., Liu, Yang, Madariaga, Juan Manuel, Mangold, Nicolas, McClean, John, Miklusicak, Noah, Nunes, Daniel, Rojas, Corrine, Runyon, Kirby, Schmitz, Nicole, Scudder, Noel, Shaver, Emily, SooHoo, Jason, Spaulding, Russell, Stanish, Evan, Tamppari, Leslie K., Tice, Michael M., Turenne, Nathalie, Willis, Peter A., and Aileen Yingst, R.

Published
2020
Full Text
View/download PDF

7. Physical Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of the lower Western Fan (Shenandoah formation) Jezero Crater, Mars:: Results from the Mars 2020 'Delta Front' Campaign

Author

Ives, Libby, Stack‐Morgan, Katie, Gupta, Sanjeev, Caravaca, Gwénaël, Russell, Patrick, Shuster, David L., Williams, Amy, Holm-Alwmark, Sanna, Barnes, Robert, Bell, Jim F., Beyssac, Olivier, Brown, Adrian, Flannery, David, Frydenvang, Jens, Grotzinger, John, Lamb, Michael P., Horgan, Briony, Hurowitz, Joel A., Kalucha, Hemani, Kanine, Oak, Núñez, Jorge, Randazzo, Nicolas, Seeger, Christina, Simon, Justin I., Tice, Michael M., Tebolt, Michelle, Kah, Linda C., Williams, Rebecca M.E., Amundsen, Hans, Annex, Andrew M., Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Department of Earth Science and Engineering [Imperial College London], Imperial College London, Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (IRAP), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences [Los Angeles] (EPSS), University of California [Los Angeles] (UCLA), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), Berkeley Geochronology Center (BGC), Department of Geological Sciences [Gainesville] (UF|Geological), University of Florida [Gainesville] (UF), University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH), Arizona State University [Tempe] (ASU), Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de recherche pour le développement [IRD] : UR206-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), NASA Headquarters, Queensland University of Technology [Brisbane] (QUT), Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences [Pasadena], California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Purdue University [West Lafayette], Department of Geosciences [Stony Brook], Stony Brook University [SUNY] (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY)-State University of New York (SUNY), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory [Laurel, MD] (APL), University of Alberta, NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), NASA, Texas A&M University [College Station], University of Texas at Austin [Austin], Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences [Knoxville], The University of Tennessee [Knoxville], Planetary Science Institute [Tucson] (PSI), and Vestfonna Geophysical

Subjects
jezero crater, delta, [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology, Shenandoah formatin, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], [SDU.STU.ST]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Stratigraphy, Mars 2020, perseverance, Mars, sedimentology, stratigraphy, [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences
Abstract

International audience; The Perseverance rover is exploring a sedimentary deposit within the Late Noachian-aged (4.0-4.8 Ga) Jezero Crater interpreted to be the remnants of a delta. From April 2022 through February 2023, Perseverance investigated the basal 25 m of sediments exposed in the fan’s eastern scarp. Rover instruments collected a suite of imaging, geochemical, mineralogical, and ground-penetrating radar data.Perseverance made detailed observations through two sections of the lower fan ~600 m apart. Similar facies and stratigraphic trends are present in both sections. Each section contains two coarsening-up successions. While some finer-grained units are laterally continuous between the two sections, the coarser-grained bodies that cap each section are laterally discontinuous and do not extend between sections.Both sequences are 10 - 15 m thick. Their lower strata are dominated by sulfate-cemented, planar laminated, very fine- to medium-grained sandstone and siltstone with rare low-angle truncations. Soft-sediment deformation occurs in the form of decimeter-scale lateral folds. Laminae are normally graded. These sequences are capped by meter-scale thick sheets of coarse-grained sandstone, pebbly sandstones, and conglomerates that are variably low-angle cross-bedded, trough cross-bedded, and planar-stratified. Plane beds are massive or normally graded.Two hypotheses for the depositional environment have emerged for this succession: a sub-aerial setting with extensive “overbank” facies and shallow braided channels and a proximal pro-deltaic setting with deposition driven by hyperpycnal flows. These hypotheses will be tested against observations made by Perseverance as it traverses the “Fan Top” and by more comprehensive studies of the “Delta Front” data.

Published
2023

8. THE PETROGENETIC HISTORY OF THE JEZERO CRATER DELTA FRONT FROM MICROSCALE OBSERVATIONS BY THE MARS 2020 PIXL INSTRUMENT

Author

Hurowitz, Joel, Tice, Michael M., Allwood, Abbigail, Cable, Morgan L., Bosak, T., Broz, Adrian, Caravaca, Gwénaël, Clark, Benton, Dehouck, Erwin, Fairén, Alberto, Gomez, F., Grotzinger, John, Gupta, Sanjeev, Johnson, Jeffrey, Kah, Linda, Kalucha, Hemani, Labrie, J., Li, A., Mandon, Lucia, Núñez, Jorge, Pedersen, D., Poulet, François, Randazzo, Nicolas, Scheller, Eva, Schmidt, Mariek E., Shuster, David L., Siebach, Kirsten, Siljeström, Sandra, Simon, Justin I., Tosca, Nicholas, Treiman, Allan, Vanbommel, Scott, Wade, Lawrence, Williford, Kenneth H., Yanchilina, Anastasia, Department of Geosciences [Stony Brook], Stony Brook University [SUNY] (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY)-State University of New York (SUNY), Texas A&M University [College Station], Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences [MIT, Cambridge] (EAPS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (IRAP), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Space Science Institute [Boulder] (SSI), Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon - Terre, Planètes, Environnement (LGL-TPE), École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centro de Astrobiologia [Madrid] (CAB), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences [Pasadena], California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Department of Earth Science and Engineering [Imperial College London], Imperial College London, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory [Laurel, MD] (APL), The University of Tennessee [Knoxville], Department of Earth Sciences, Brock University, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Danish Technical University, Institut d'astrophysique spatiale (IAS), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), University of Alberta, Berkeley Geochronology Center (BGC), Rice University [Houston], RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), NASA, University of Cambridge [UK] (CAM), Lunar and Planetary Institute [Houston] (LPI), Washington University in Saint Louis (WUSTL), Blue Marble Space Institute of Science (BMSIS), Impossible Sensing Inc., and Lunar and Planetary Institute

Subjects
Jezero crater, [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], [SDU.STU.ST]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Stratigraphy, Mars 2020, Mars, [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences, Mineralogy, geochemistry, delta front
Abstract

International audience; On ~sol 370 of the Perseverance rover mission, the Mars 2020 Science Team completed its investigation of igneous units of the Jezero crater floor [1] and directed Perseverance to drive towards the topographic scarp that marks the interface between the crater floor and Jezero’s western delta. The “Delta Front Campaign” consisted of close-up investigation and sampling of lithologies located there.Here, we report on the major findings relevant to the provenance and diagenetic history of these lithologies deduced from measurements made by the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL), a micro-focus X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscope [2]. Data were collected from two sections at Cape Nukshak and Hawksbill Gap; outcrop and member names are from [3]. Lithologies are described here in order from base to top of each section.

Published
2023

9. OVERVIEW OF THE BEDROCK GEOCHEMISTRY AND MINERALOGY OBSERVED BY SUPERCAM DURING PERSEVERANCE'S DELTA FRONT CAMPAIGN

Author

Dehouck, Erwin, Forni, Olivier, Quantin-Nataf, Cathy, Beck, Pierre, Mangold, Nicolas, Royer, Clément, Clavé, Elise, Beyssac, Olivier, Johnson, Jeffrey, Mandon, Lucia, Poulet, François, Le Mouélic, Stéphane, Caravaca, Gwénaël, Kalucha, Hemani, Gibbons, Erin, Dromart, Gilles, Gasda, Patrick, Meslin, Pierre-Yves, Schroeder, Susanne, Udry, Arya, Anderson, Ryan B., Clegg, Samuel, Cousin, Agnès, Gabriel, Travis, Lasue, Jérémie, Fouchet, Thierry, Pilleri, Paolo, Pilorget, Cédric, Hurowitz, Joel, Núñez, Jorge, Williams, Amy, Russell, Patrick, Simon, Justin I., Maurice, Sylvestre, Wiens, Roger, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon - Terre, Planètes, Environnement (LGL-TPE), École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (IRAP), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG ), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Météo-France -Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Météo-France, Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences [UMR_C 6112] (LPG), Université d'Angers (UA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Nantes université - UFR des Sciences et des Techniques (Nantes univ - UFR ST), Nantes Université - pôle Sciences et technologie, Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université - pôle Sciences et technologie, Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université (Nantes Univ), Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, Centre d'Etudes Lasers Intenses et Applications (CELIA), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de recherche pour le développement [IRD] : UR206-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory [Laurel, MD] (APL), Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences [Pasadena], California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Institut d'astrophysique spatiale (IAS), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), McGill University = Université McGill [Montréal, Canada], Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt [Berlin] (DLR), University of Nevada [Las Vegas] (WGU Nevada), US Geological Survey [Flagstaff], United States Geological Survey [Reston] (USGS), United States Geological Survey (USGS), Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique = Laboratory of Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics (LESIA), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Stony Brook University [SUNY] (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY), Department of Geological Sciences [Gainesville] (UF|Geological), University of Florida [Gainesville] (UF), Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences [Los Angeles] (EPSS), University of California [Los Angeles] (UCLA), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), NASA, and Lunar and Planetary Institute

Subjects
jezero crater, [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], [SDU.STU.ST]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Stratigraphy, Mars 2020, [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences, mars, delta front, geochemistry
Abstract

International audience; In February 2021, the Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater, Mars. The crater floor was found to be composed of lava flows and cumulate rocks [1-5]. These magmatic rocks appear to have undergone some limited aqueous alteration; however, it is not clear whether this alteration is related to the lacustrine phase of the crater [1,3,6,7].After completing its exploration of the crater floor, Perseverance reached the foot of the Jezero western fan in late April 2022 (sol ~422). Long-distance images acquired earlier in the mission had already confirmed the deltaic nature of the fan [8], which had long been suspected from orbital observations [9,10]. Between April and December 2022, Perseverance investigated the basal layers of the delta at two locations named Hawksbill Gap and Cape Nukshak, which are ~400 m apart [11]. Here, we present an overview of the geo-chemistry and mineralogy of the delta rocks as observed by SuperCam, and show that these rocks record a diver-sity of past aqueous alteration environments.

Published
2023

10. SEDIMENTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LOWER DELTA SEQUENCE, JEZERO CRATER,MARS

Author

Stack‐Morgan, Katie, Gupta, Sanjeev, Tebolt, Michelle, Caravaca, Gwénaël, Ives, Libby, Russell, Patrick, Shuster, David L., Williams, Amy, Holm-Alwmark, Sanna, Barnes, Robert, Bell, Jim F., Beyssac, Olivier, Brown, Adrian, Flannery, David, Grotzinger, John, Horgan, Briony, Hurowitz, Joel, Kalucha, Hemani, Kanine, Oak, Núñez, Jorge, Randazzo, Nicolas, Seeger, Christina, Simon, Justin I., Tice, Michael M., Williams, Rebecca M.E., Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Department of Earth Science and Engineering [Imperial College London], Imperial College London, University of Texas at Austin [Austin], Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (IRAP), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences [Los Angeles] (EPSS), University of California [Los Angeles] (UCLA), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), Berkeley Geochronology Center (BGC), Department of Geological Sciences [Gainesville] (UF|Geological), University of Florida [Gainesville] (UF), University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH), Arizona State University [Tempe] (ASU), Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de recherche pour le développement [IRD] : UR206-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), NASA Headquarters, Plancius Research LLC, Queensland University of Technology [Brisbane] (QUT), Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences [Pasadena], California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Purdue University [West Lafayette], Department of Geosciences [Stony Brook], Stony Brook University [SUNY] (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY)-State University of New York (SUNY), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory [Laurel, MD] (APL), University of Alberta, NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), NASA, Texas A&M University [College Station], Planetary Science Institute [Tucson] (PSI), and Lunar and Planetary Institute

Subjects
Jezero crater, delta, [SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], shenandoah formation, [SDU.STU.ST]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Stratigraphy, Mars 2020, Mars, stratigraphy, [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences, Sedimentology
Abstract

International audience; In April 2022, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover arrived at the base of the ancient delta in Jezero crater after completing the first year of its mission exploring and sampling aqueously altered igneous rocks of the present-day crater floor [1]. Perseverance then spent ~200 sols exploring the lower ~25 m of rock exposed within the eastern scarp of the Jezero delta [2], a sedimentary sequence informally named the ‘Shenandoah’ formation. This studydescribes the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Shenandoah formation explored by Perseverance at two sections—'Cape Nukshak’ and ‘Hawksbill Gap’— including a description, interpretation, and depositional framework for the facies that comprise it.

Published
2023

11. Evidence for indigenous nitrogen in sedimentary and aeolian deposits from the Curiosity rover investigations at Gale crater, Mars

Author

Stern, Jennifer C., Sutter, Brad, Freissinet, Caroline, Navarro-González, Rafael, McKay, Christopher P., Archer, P. Douglas, Buch, Arnaud, Brunner, Anna E., Coll, Patrice, Eigenbrode, Jennifer L., Fairen, Alberto G., Franz, Heather B., Glavin, Daniel P., Kashyap, Srishti, McAdam, Amy C., Ming, Douglas W., Steele, Andrew, Szopa, Cyril, Wray, James J., Martín-Torres, F. Javier, Zorzano, Maria-Paz, Conrad, Pamela G., Mahaffy, Paul R., Kemppinen, Osku, Bridges, Nathan, Johnson, Jeffrey R., Minitti, Michelle, Cremers, David, Bell, James F., Edgar, Lauren, Farmer, Jack, Godber, Austin, Wadhwa, Meenakshi, Wellington, Danika, McEwan, Ian, Newman, Claire, Richardson, Mark, Charpentier, Antoine, Peret, Laurent, King, Penelope, Blank, Jennifer, Weigle, Gerald, Schmidt, Mariek, Li, Shuai, Milliken, Ralph, Robertson, Kevin, Sun, Vivian, Baker, Michael, Edwards, Christopher, Ehlmann, Bethany, Farley, Kenneth, Griffes, Jennifer, Grotzinger, John, Miller, Hayden, Newcombe, Megan, Pilorget, Cedric, Rice, Melissa, Siebach, Kirsten, Stack, Katie, Stolper, Edward, Brunet, Claude, Hipkin, Victoria, Léveillé, Richard, Marchand, Geneviève, Sánchez, Pablo Sobrón, Favot, Laurent, Cody, George, Flückiger, Lorenzo, Lees, David, Nefian, Ara, Martin, Mildred, Gailhanou, Marc, Westall, Frances, Israël, Guy, Agard, Christophe, Baroukh, Julien, Donny, Christophe, Gaboriaud, Alain, Guillemot, Philippe, Lafaille, Vivian, Lorigny, Eric, Paillet, Alexis, Pérez, René, Saccoccio, Muriel, Yana, Charles, Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos, Rodríguez, Javier Caride, Blázquez, Isaías Carrasco, Gómez, Felipe Gómez, Gómez-Elvira, Javier, Hettrich, Sebastian, Malvitte, Alain Lepinette, Jiménez, Mercedes Marín, Martínez-Frías, Jesús, Martín-Soler, Javier, Torres, F. Javier Martín, Jurado, Antonio Molina, Mora-Sotomayor, Luis, Caro, Guillermo Muñoz, López, Sara Navarro, Peinado-González, Verónica, Pla-García, Jorge, Manfredi, José Antonio Rodriguez, Romeral-Planelló, Julio José, Fuentes, Sara Alejandra Sans, Martinez, Eduardo Sebastian, Redondo, Josefina Torres, Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser, Mier, María-Paz Zorzano, Chipera, Steve, Lacour, Jean-Luc, Mauchien, Patrick, Sirven, Jean-Baptiste, Manning, Heidi, Fairén, Alberto, Hayes, Alexander, Joseph, Jonathan, Squyres, Steven, Sullivan, Robert, Thomas, Peter, Dupont, Audrey, Lundberg, Angela, Melikechi, Noureddine, Mezzacappa, Alissa, DeMarines, Julia, Grinspoon, David, Reitz, Günther, Prats, Benito, Atlaskin, Evgeny, Genzer, Maria, Harri, Ari-Matti, Haukka, Harri, Kahanpää, Henrik, Kauhanen, Janne, Paton, Mark, Polkko, Jouni, Schmidt, Walter, Siili, Tero, Fabre, Cécile, Wray, James, Wilhelm, Mary Beth, Poitrasson, Franck, Patel, Kiran, Gorevan, Stephen, Indyk, Stephen, Paulsen, Gale, Gupta, Sanjeev, Bish, David, Schieber, Juergen, Gondet, Brigitte, Langevin, Yves, Geffroy, Claude, Baratoux, David, Berger, Gilles, Cros, Alain, d’Uston, Claude, Forni, Olivier, Gasnault, Olivier, Lasue, Jérémie, Lee, Qiu-Mei, Maurice, Sylvestre, Meslin, Pierre-Yves, Pallier, Etienne, Parot, Yann, Pinet, Patrick, Schröder, Susanne, Toplis, Mike, Lewin, Éric, Brunner, Will, Heydari, Ezat, Achilles, Cherie, Oehler, Dorothy, Cabane, Michel, Coscia, David, Dromart, Gilles, Robert, François, Sautter, Violaine, Le Mouélic, Stéphane, Mangold, Nicolas, Nachon, Marion, Stalport, Fabien, François, Pascaline, Raulin, François, Teinturier, Samuel, Cameron, James, Clegg, Sam, Cousin, Agnès, DeLapp, Dorothea, Dingler, Robert, Jackson, Ryan Steele, Johnstone, Stephen, Lanza, Nina, Little, Cynthia, Nelson, Tony, Wiens, Roger C., Williams, Richard B., Jones, Andrea, Kirkland, Laurel, Treiman, Allan, Baker, Burt, Cantor, Bruce, Caplinger, Michael, Davis, Scott, Duston, Brian, Edgett, Kenneth, Fay, Donald, Hardgrove, Craig, Harker, David, Herrera, Paul, Jensen, Elsa, Kennedy, Megan R., Krezoski, Gillian, Krysak, Daniel, Lipkaman, Leslie, Malin, Michael, McCartney, Elaina, McNair, Sean, Nixon, Brian, Posiolova, Liliya, Ravine, Michael, Salamon, Andrew, Saper, Lee, Stoiber, Kevin, Supulver, Kimberley, Van Beek, Jason, Van Beek, Tessa, Zimdar, Robert, French, Katherine Louise, Iagnemma, Karl, Miller, Kristen, Summons, Roger, Goesmann, Fred, Goetz, Walter, Hviid, Stubbe, Johnson, Micah, Lefavor, Matthew, Lyness, Eric, Breves, Elly, Dyar, M. Darby, Fassett, Caleb, Blake, David F., Bristow, Thomas, DesMarais, David, Edwards, Laurence, Haberle, Robert, Hoehler, Tori, Hollingsworth, Jeff, Kahre, Melinda, Keely, Leslie, McKay, Christopher, Bleacher, Lora, Brinckerhoff, William, Choi, David, Conrad, Pamela, Dworkin, Jason P., Eigenbrode, Jennifer, Floyd, Melissa, Garvin, James, Glavin, Daniel, Harpold, Daniel, Mahaffy, Paul, Martin, David K., McAdam, Amy, Pavlov, Alexander, Raaen, Eric, Smith, Michael D., Stern, Jennifer, Tan, Florence, Trainer, Melissa, Meyer, Michael, Posner, Arik, Voytek, Mary, Anderson, Robert C, Aubrey, Andrew, Beegle, Luther W., Behar, Alberto, Blaney, Diana, Brinza, David, Calef, Fred, Christensen, Lance, Crisp, Joy A., DeFlores, Lauren, Feldman, Jason, Feldman, Sabrina, Flesch, Gregory, Hurowitz, Joel, Jun, Insoo, Keymeulen, Didier, Maki, Justin, Mischna, Michael, Morookian, John Michael, Parker, Timothy, Pavri, Betina, Schoppers, Marcel, Sengstacken, Aaron, Simmonds, John J., Spanovich, Nicole, Juarez, Manuel de la Torre, Vasavada, Ashwin R., Webster, Christopher R., Yen, Albert, Archer, Paul Douglas, Cucinotta, Francis, Jones, John H., Ming, Douglas, Morris, Richard V., Niles, Paul, Rampe, Elizabeth, Nolan, Thomas, Fisk, Martin, Radziemski, Leon, Barraclough, Bruce, Bender, Steve, Berman, Daniel, Dobrea, Eldar Noe, Tokar, Robert, Vaniman, David, Williams, Rebecca M. E., Yingst, Aileen, Lewis, Kevin, Leshin, Laurie, Cleghorn, Timothy, Huntress, Wesley, Manhès, Gérard, Hudgins, Judy, Olson, Timothy, Stewart, Noel, Sarrazin, Philippe, Grant, John, Vicenzi, Edward, Wilson, Sharon A., Bullock, Mark, Ehresmann, Bent, Hamilton, Victoria, Hassler, Donald, Peterson, Joseph, Rafkin, Scot, Zeitlin, Cary, Fedosov, Fedor, Golovin, Dmitry, Karpushkina, Natalya, Kozyrev, Alexander, Litvak, Maxim, Malakhov, Alexey, Mitrofanov, Igor, Mokrousov, Maxim, Nikiforov, Sergey, Prokhorov, Vasily, Sanin, Anton, Tretyakov, Vladislav, Varenikov, Alexey, Vostrukhin, Andrey, Kuzmin, Ruslan, Clark, Benton, Wolff, Michael, McLennan, Scott, Botta, Oliver, Drake, Darrell, Bean, Keri, Lemmon, Mark, Schwenzer, Susanne P., Anderson, Ryan B., Herkenhoff, Kenneth, Lee, Ella Mae, Sucharski, Robert, Hernández, Miguel Ángel de Pablo, Ávalos, Juan José Blanco, Ramos, Miguel, Kim, Myung-Hee, Malespin, Charles, Plante, Ianik, Muller, Jan-Peter, Ewing, Ryan, Boynton, William, Downs, Robert, Fitzgibbon, Mike, Harshman, Karl, Morrison, Shaunna, Dietrich, William, Kortmann, Onno, Palucis, Marisa, Sumner, Dawn Y., Williams, Amy, Lugmair, Günter, Wilson, Michael A., Rubin, David, Jakosky, Bruce, Balic-Zunic, Tonci, Frydenvang, Jens, Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard, Kinch, Kjartan, Koefoed, Asmus, Madsen, Morten Bo, Stipp, Susan Louise Svane, Boyd, Nick, Campbell, John L., Gellert, Ralf, Perrett, Glynis, Pradler, Irina, VanBommel, Scott, Jacob, Samantha, Owen, Tobias, Rowland, Scott, Savijärvi, Hannu, Boehm, Eckart, Böttcher, Stephan, Burmeister, Sönke, Guo, Jingnan, Köhler, Jan, García, César Martín, Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold, Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert, Bridges, John C., McConnochie, Timothy, Benna, Mehdi, Franz, Heather, Bower, Hannah, Brunner, Anna, Blau, Hannah, Boucher, Thomas, Carmosino, Marco, Atreya, Sushil, Elliott, Harvey, Halleaux, Douglas, Rennó, Nilton, Wong, Michael, Pepin, Robert, Elliott, Beverley, Spray, John, Thompson, Lucy, Gordon, Suzanne, Newsom, Horton, Ollila, Ann, Williams, Joshua, Vasconcelos, Paulo, Bentz, Jennifer, Nealson, Kenneth, Popa, Radu, Kah, Linda C., Moersch, Jeffrey, Tate, Christopher, Day, Mackenzie, Kocurek, Gary, Hallet, Bernard, Sletten, Ronald, Francis, Raymond, McCullough, Emily, Cloutis, Ed, ten Kate, Inge Loes, Arvidson, Raymond, Fraeman, Abigail, Scholes, Daniel, Slavney, Susan, Stein, Thomas, Ward, Jennifer, Berger, Jeffrey, Moores, John E., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), NASA, Laboratorio de Química de Plasmas y Estudios Planetarios [Mexico], Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares [Mexico], Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)-Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux - EA 4038 (LGPM), CentraleSupélec, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE), Arizona State University [Tempe] (ASU), Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA (UMR_7583)), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Astronomy [Ithaca], Cornell University [New York], Centro de Astrobiologia [Madrid] (CAB), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology [GSFC] (CRESST), Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor [Technoport] (CRP Henri Tudor), Centre de Recherche Public Henri-Tudor [Luxembourg] (CRP Henri-Tudor), Department of Microbiology [Amherst], University of Massachusetts [Amherst] (UMass Amherst), University of Massachusetts System (UMASS)-University of Massachusetts System (UMASS), Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES), NASA-NASA, Geophysical Laboratory [Carnegie Institution], Carnegie Institution for Science, PLANETO - LATMOS, Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences [Atlanta], Georgia Institute of Technology [Atlanta], Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (IACT), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC)-Universidad de Granada (UGR), Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering [Luleå], Luleå University of Technology (LUT), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)-Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Carnegie Institution for Science [Washington], Universidad de Granada (UGR)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Cornell University, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Spain] (CSIC), Department of Microbiology, IMPEC - LATMOS, Universidad de Granada (UGR)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Spain] (CSIC), and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC)-Universidad de Granada = University of Granada (UGR)

Subjects
Martian, Multidisciplinary, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Water on Mars, nitrates, astrobiology, [SDU.ASTR.EP]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Earth and Planetary Astrophysics [astro-ph.EP], Mars, Mars Exploration Program, 01 natural sciences, nitrogen, Astrobiology, Curiosity, 13. Climate action, Rocknest, 0103 physical sciences, Sample Analysis at Mars, Physical Sciences, Aeolian processes, Composition of Mars, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Nitrogen cycle, Geology, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

International audience; The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has detected oxidized nitrogen-bearing compounds during pyrolysis of scooped aeolian sediments and drilled sedimentary deposits within Gale crater. Total N concentrations ranged from 20 to 250 nmol N per sample. After subtraction of known N sources in SAM, our results support the equivalent of 110–300 ppm of nitrate in the Rocknest (RN) aeolian samples, and 70–260 and 330–1,100 ppm nitrate in John Klein (JK) and Cumberland (CB) mudstone deposits, respectively. Discovery of indigenous martian nitrogen in Mars surface materials has important implications for habitability and, specifically, for the potential evolution of a nitrogen cycle at some point in martian history. The detection of nitrate in both wind-drifted fines (RN) and in mudstone (JK, CB) is likely a result of N2 fixation to nitrate generated by thermal shock from impact or volcanic plume lightning on ancient Mars. Fixed nitrogen could have facilitated the development of a primitive nitrogen cycle on the surface of ancient Mars, potentially providing a biochemically accessible source of nitrogen.

Published
2015
Full Text
View/download PDF

12. Evidence for plunging river plume deposits in the Pahrump Hills member of the Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars.

Author

Stack, Kathryn M., Grotzinger, John P., Lamb, Michael P., Gupta, Sanjeev, Rubin, David M., Kah, Linda C., Edgar, Lauren A., Fey, Deirdra M., Hurowitz, Joel A., McBride, Marie, Rivera‐Hernández, Frances, Sumner, Dawn Y., Van Beek, Jason K., Williams, Rebecca M. E., Aileen Yingst, Robin, and Tosca, Nicholas

Subjects
GALE Crater (Mars), REGIONS of freshwater influence, SEDIMENTARY structures, CRATER lakes, MARS (Planet), IMPACT craters, LUNAR craters
Abstract

Recent robotic missions to Mars have offered new insights into the extent, diversity and habitability of the Martian sedimentary rock record. Since the Curiosity rover landed in Gale crater in August 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory Science Team has explored the origins and habitability of ancient fluvial, deltaic, lacustrine and aeolian deposits preserved within the crater. This study describes the sedimentology of a ca 13 m thick succession named the Pahrump Hills member of the Murray formation, the first thick fine‐grained deposit discovered in situ on Mars. This work evaluates the depositional processes responsible for its formation and reconstructs its palaeoenvironmental setting. The Pahrump Hills succession can be sub‐divided into four distinct sedimentary facies: (i) thinly laminated mudstone; (ii) low‐angle cross‐stratified mudstone; (iii) cross‐stratified sandstone; and (iv) thickly laminated mudstone–sandstone. The very fine grain size of the mudstone facies and abundant millimetre‐scale and sub‐millimetre‐scale laminations exhibiting quasi‐uniform thickness throughout the Pahrump Hills succession are most consistent with lacustrine deposition. Low‐angle geometric discordances in the mudstone facies are interpreted as 'scour and drape' structures and suggest the action of currents, such as those associated with hyperpycnal river‐generated plumes plunging into a lake. Observation of an overall upward coarsening in grain size and thickening of laminae throughout the Pahrump Hills succession is consistent with deposition from basinward progradation of a fluvial‐deltaic system derived from the northern crater rim into the Gale crater lake. Palaeohydraulic modelling constrains the salinity of the ancient lake in Gale crater: assuming river sediment concentrations typical of floods on Earth, plunging river plumes and sedimentary structures like those observed at Pahrump Hills would have required lake densities near freshwater to form. The depositional model for the Pahrump Hills member presented here implies the presence of an ancient sustained, habitable freshwater lake in Gale crater for at least ca 103 to 107 Earth years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2019
Full Text
View/download PDF

13. The Sedimentary Cycle on Early Mars.

Author

McLennan, Scott M., Grotzinger, John P., Hurowitz, Joel A., and Tosca, Nicholas J.

Subjects
MARS (Planet), PLATE tectonics, SEDIMENTARY rocks, PROVENANCE (Geology), DIAGENESIS
Abstract

Two decades of intensive research have demonstrated that early Mars (2 Gyr) had an active sedimentary cycle, including well-preserved stratigraphic records, understandable within a source-to-sink framework with remarkable fidelity. This early cycle exhibits first-order similarities to (e.g., facies relationships, groundwater diagenesis, recycling) and first-order differences from (e.g., greater aeolian versus subaqueous processes, basaltic versus granitic provenance, absence of plate tectonics) Earth's record. Mars' sedimentary record preserves evidence for progressive desiccation and oxidation of the surface over time, but simple models for the nature and evolution of paleoenvironments (e.g., acid Mars, early warm and wet versus late cold and dry) have given way to the view that, similar to Earth, different climate regimes on Mars coexisted on regional scales and evolved on variable timescales, and redox chemistry played a pivotal role. A major accomplishment of Mars exploration has been to demonstrate that surface and subsurface sedimentary environments were both habitable and capable of preserving any biological record. ▪ Mars has an ancient sedimentary rock record with many similarities to but also many differences from Earth's sedimentary rock record. ▪ Mars' ancient sedimentary cycle shows a general evolution toward more desiccated and oxidized surficial conditions. ▪ Climatic regimes of early Mars were relatively clement but with regional variations leading to different sedimentary mineral assemblages. ▪ Surface and subsurface sedimentary environments on early Mars were habitable and capable of preserving any biological record that may have existed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2019
Full Text
View/download PDF

14. Overview of Spirit Microscopic Imager Results.

Author

Herkenhoff, Ken E., Squyres, Steve W., Arvidson, Raymond E., Cole, Shoshanna B., Sullivan, Rob, Yingst, Aileen, Cabrol, Nathalie, Lee, Ella M., Richie, Janet, Sucharski, Bob, Bell, James F., Calef, Fred, Chapman, Mary, Edgar, Lauren, Franklin, Brenda, Geissler, Paul, Hurowitz, Joel, Jensen, Elsa, Johnson, Jeffrey R., and Kirk, Randy

Subjects
MARTIAN geology, SOILS, ROCKS, GUSEV Crater (Mars), SILICA, IMAGING systems
Abstract

This paper provides an overview of Mars Exploration Rover Spirit Microscopic Imager (MI) operations and the calibration, processing, and analysis of MI data. The focus of this overview is on the last five Earth years (2005–2010) of Spirit's mission in Gusev crater, supplementing the previous overview of the first 450 sols of the Spirit MI investigation. Updates to radiometric calibration using in‐flight data and improvements in high‐level processing are summarized. Released data products are described, and a table of MI observations, including target/feature names and associated data sets, is appended. The MI observed natural and disturbed exposures of rocks and soils as well as magnets and other rover hardware. These hand‐lens‐scale observations have provided key constraints on interpretations of the formation and geologic history of features, rocks, and soils examined by Spirit. MI images complement observations by other Spirit instruments, and together show that impact and volcanic processes have dominated the origin and evolution of the rocks in Gusev crater, with aqueous activity indicated by the presence of silica‐rich rocks and sulfate‐rich soils. The textures of some of the silica‐rich rocks are similar to terrestrial hot spring deposits, and observations of subsurface cemented layers indicate recent aqueous mobilization of sulfates in places. Wind action has recently modified soils and abraded many of the rocks imaged by the MI, as observed at other Mars landing sites. Plain Language Summary: The Microscopic Imager (MI) on NASA's Spirit rover returned the highest‐resolution images of the Martian surface available at the time of the 2004–2010 mission. Designed to survive 90 Mars days (sols) and search for evidence of water in the past, Spirit returned data for 2210 sols, far exceeding all expectations. This paper summarizes the scientific insights gleaned from the thousands of MI images acquired during the last 5 years of the mission, supplementing the summary of the first 450 sols of the Spirit MI investigation published previously (Herkenhoff et al.,). Along with data from the other instruments on Spirit, MI images guided the scientific interpretation of the geologic history of the rocks and soils observed in Gusev crater on Mars. We conclude that the geologic history of the area explored by Spirit has been dominated by impacts and volcanism, and that water, perhaps very hot water, was involved in the evolution of some of the rocks and soils. More recently, winds have moved soil particles and abraded rocks, as observed elsewhere on Mars. These results have improved our understanding of Mars' history and informed planning of future missions to Mars. Key Points: During the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit mission, the Microscopic Imager returned 5,923 full‐frame imagesThese images have guided interpretations of the geologic history of Gusev crater on MarsA table summarizing the MI images chronologically is appended, including target/feature names and sequence identifiers for Pancam images that provide context [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2019
Full Text
View/download PDF

15. Isotope ratios of H, C, and O in CO₂ and H₂O of the martian atmosphere

Author

Webster, Chris R, Mahaffy, Paul R, Flesch, Gregory J, Niles, Paul B, Jones, John H, Leshin, Laurie A, Atreya, Sushil K, Stern, Jennifer C, Christensen, Lance E, Owen, Tobias, Franz, Heather, Pepin, Robert O, Steele, Andrew and the MSL Science Team, Achilles, Cherie, Agard, Christophe, Alves Verdasca, José Alexandre, Anderson, Robert, Anderson, Ryan, Archer, Doug, Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos, Arvidson, Ray, Atlaskin, Evgeny, Aubrey, Andrew, Baker, Burt, Baker, Michael, Balic-Zunic, Tonci, Baratoux, David, Baroukh, Julien, Barraclough, Bruce, Bean, Keri, Beegle, Luther, Behar, Alberto, Bell, James, Bender, Steve, Benna, Mehdi, Bentz, Jennifer, Berger, Gilles, Berger, Jeff, Berman, Daniel, Bish, David, Blake, David F, Blanco Avalos, Juan J, Blaney, Diana, Blank, Jen, Blau, Hannah, Bleacher, Lora, Boehm, Eckart, Botta, Oliver, Böttcher, Stephan, Boucher, Thomas, Bower, Hannah, Boyd, Nick, Boynton, Bill, Breves, Elly, Bridges, John, Bridges, Nathan, Brinckerhoff, William, Brinza, David, Bristow, Thomas, Brunet, Claude, Brunner, Anna, Brunner, Will, Buch, Arnaud, Bullock, Mark, Burmeister, Sönke, Cabane, Michel, Calef, Fred, Cameron, James, Campbell, John, Cantor, Bruce, Caplinger, Michael, Caride Rodríguez, Javier, Carmosino, Marco, Carrasco Blázquez, Isaías, Charpentier, Antoine, Chipera, Steve, Choi, David, Clark, Benton, Clegg, Sam, Cleghorn, Timothy, Cloutis, Ed, Cody, George, Coll, Patrice, Conrad, Pamela, Coscia, David, Cousin, Agnès, Cremers, David, Crisp, Joy, Cros, Alain, Cucinotta, Frank, d'Uston, Claude, Davis, Scott, Day, Mackenzie, de la Torre Juarez, Manuel, DeFlores, Lauren, DeLapp, Dorothea, DeMarines, Julia, DesMarais, David, Dietrich, William, Dingler, Robert, Donny, Christophe, Downs, Bob, Drake, Darrell, Dromart, Gilles, Dupont, Audrey, Duston, Brian, Dworkin, Jason, Dyar, M Darby, Edgar, Lauren, Edgett, Kenneth, Edwards, Christopher, Edwards, Laurence, Ehlmann, Bethany, Ehresmann, Bent, Eigenbrode, Jen, Elliott, Beverley, Elliott, Harvey, Ewing, Ryan, Fabre, Cécile, Fairén, Alberto, Farley, Ken, Farmer, Jack, Fassett, Caleb, Favot, Laurent, Fay, Donald, Fedosov, Fedor, Feldman, Jason, Feldman, Sabrina, Fisk, Marty, Fitzgibbon, Mike, Floyd, Melissa, Flückiger, Lorenzo, Forni, Olivier, Fraeman, Abby, Francis, Raymond, François, Pascaline, Freissinet, Caroline, French, Katherine Louise, Frydenvang, Jens, Gaboriaud, Alain, Gailhanou, Marc, Garvin, James, Gasnault, Olivier, Geffroy, Claude, Gellert, Ralf, Genzer, Maria, Glavin, Daniel, Godber, Austin, Goesmann, Fred, Goetz, Walter, Golovin, Dmitry, Gómez Gómez, Felipe, Gómez-Elvira, Javier, Gondet, Brigitte, Gordon, Suzanne, Gorevan, Stephen, Grant, John, Griffes, Jennifer, Grinspoon, David, Grotzinger, John, Guillemot, Philippe, Guo, Jingnan, Gupta, Sanjeev, Guzewich, Scott, Haberle, Robert, Halleaux, Douglas, Hallet, Bernard, Hamilton, Vicky, Hardgrove, Craig, Harker, David, Harpold, Daniel, Harri, Ari-Matti, Harshman, Karl, Hassler, Donald, Haukka, Harri, Hayes, Alex, Herkenhoff, Ken, Herrera, Paul, Hettrich, Sebastian, Heydari, Ezat, Hipkin, Victoria, Hoehler, Tori, Hollingsworth, Jeff, Hudgins, Judy, Huntress, Wesley, Hurowitz, Joel, Hviid, Stubbe, Iagnemma, Karl, Indyk, Steve, Israël, Guy, Jackson, Ryan, Jacob, Samantha, Jakosky, Bruce, Jensen, Elsa, Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard, Johnson, Jeffrey, Johnson, Micah, Johnstone, Steve, Jones, Andrea, Joseph, Jonathan, Jun, Insoo, Kah, Linda, Kahanpää, Henrik, Kahre, Melinda, Karpushkina, Natalya, Kasprzak, Wayne, Kauhanen, Janne, Keely, Leslie, Kemppinen, Osku, Keymeulen, Didier, Kim, Myung-Hee, Kinch, Kjartan, King, Penny, Kirkland, Laurel, Kocurek, Gary, Koefoed, Asmus, Köhler, Jan, Kortmann, Onno, Kozyrev, Alexander, Krezoski, Jill, Krysak, Daniel, Kuzmin, Ruslan, Lacour, Jean Luc, Lafaille, Vivian, Langevin, Yves, Lanza, Nina, Lasue, Jeremie, Le Mouélic, Stéphane, Lee, Ella Mae, Lee, Qiu-Mei, Lees, David, Lefavor, Matthew, Lemmon, Mark, Lepinette Malvitte, Alain, Léveillé, Richard, Lewin-Carpintier, Éric, Lewis, Kevin, Li, Shuai, Lipkaman, Leslie, Little, Cynthia, Litvak, Maxim, Lorigny, Eric, Lugmair, Guenter, Lundberg, Angela, Lyness, Eric, Madsen, Morten, Maki, Justin, Malakhov, Alexey, Malespin, Charles, Malin, Michael, Mangold, Nicolas, Manhes, Gérard, Manning, Heidi, Marchand, Geneviève, Marín Jiménez, Mercedes, Martín García, César, Martin, Dave, Martin, Mildred, Martínez-Frías, Jesús, Martín-Soler, Javier, Martín-Torres, F Javier, Mauchien, Patrick, Maurice, Sylvestre, McAdam, Amy, McCartney, Elaina, McConnochie, Timothy, McCullough, Emily, McEwan, Ian, McKay, Christopher, McLennan, Scott, McNair, Sean, Melikechi, Noureddine, Meslin, Pierre-Yves, Meyer, Michael, Mezzacappa, Alissa, Miller, Hayden, Miller, Kristen, Milliken, Ralph, Ming, Douglas, Minitti, Michelle, Mischna, Michael, Mitrofanov, Igor, Moersch, Jeff, Mokrousov, Maxim, Molina Jurado, Antonio, Moores, John, Mora-Sotomayor, Luis, Morookian, John Michael, Morris, Richard, Morrison, Shaunna, Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold, Muller, Jan-Peter, Muñoz Caro, Guillermo, Nachon, Marion, Navarro López, Sara, Navarro-González, Rafael, Nealson, Kenneth, Nefian, Ara, Nelson, Tony, Newcombe, Megan, Newman, Claire, Newsom, Horton, Nikiforov, Sergey, Nixon, Brian, Noe Dobrea, Eldar, Nolan, Thomas, Oehler, Dorothy, Ollila, Ann, Olson, Timothy, de Pablo Hernández, Miguel Ángel, Paillet, Alexis, Pallier, Etienne, Palucis, Marisa, Parker, Timothy, Parot, Yann, Patel, Kiran, Paton, Mark, Paulsen, Gale, Pavlov, Alex, Pavri, Betina, Peinado-González, Verónica, Peret, Laurent, Perez, Rene, Perrett, Glynis, Peterson, Joe, Pilorget, Cedric, Pinet, Patrick, Pla-García, Jorge, Plante, Ianik, Poitrasson, Franck, Polkko, Jouni, Popa, Radu, Posiolova, Liliya, Posner, Arik, Pradler, Irina, Prats, Benito, Prokhorov, Vasily, Purdy, Sharon Wilson, Raaen, Eric, Radziemski, Leon, Rafkin, Scot, Ramos, Miguel, Rampe, Elizabeth, Raulin, François, Ravine, Michael, Reitz, Günther, Rennó, Nilton, Rice, Melissa, Richardson, Mark, Robert, François, Robertson, Kevin, Rodriguez Manfredi, José Antonio, Romeral-Planelló, Julio J, Rowland, Scott, Rubin, David, Saccoccio, Muriel, Salamon, Andrew, Sandoval, Jennifer, Sanin, Anton, Sans Fuentes, Sara Alejandra, Saper, Lee, Sarrazin, Philippe, Sautter, Violaine, Savijärvi, Hannu, Schieber, Juergen, Schmidt, Mariek, Schmidt, Walter, Scholes, Daniel, Schoppers, Marcel, Schröder, Susanne, Schwenzer, Susanne, Sebastian Martinez, Eduardo, Sengstacken, Aaron, Shterts, Ruslan, Siebach, Kirsten, Siili, Tero, Simmonds, Jeff, Sirven, Jean-Baptiste, Slavney, Susie, Sletten, Ronald, Smith, Michael, Sobrón Sánchez, Pablo, Spanovich, Nicole, Spray, John, Squyres, Steven, Stack, Katie, Stalport, Fabien, Stein, Thomas, Stewart, Noel, Stipp, Susan Louise Svane, Stoiber, Kevin, Stolper, Ed, Sucharski, Bob, Sullivan, Rob, Summons, Roger, Sumner, Dawn, Sun, Vivian, Supulver, Kimberley, Sutter, Brad, Szopa, Cyril, Tan, Florence, Tate, Christopher, Teinturier, Samuel, ten Kate, Inge, Thomas, Peter, Thompson, Lucy, Tokar, Robert, Toplis, Mike, Torres Redondo, Josefina, Trainer, Melissa, Treiman, Allan, Tretyakov, Vladislav, Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser, Van Beek, Jason, Van Beek, Tessa, VanBommel, Scott, Vaniman, David, Varenikov, Alexey, Vasavada, Ashwin, Vasconcelos, Paulo, Vicenzi, Edward, Vostrukhin, Andrey, Voytek, Mary, Wadhwa, Meenakshi, Ward, Jennifer, Weigle, Eddie, Wellington, Danika, Westall, Frances, Wiens, Roger Craig, Wilhelm, Mary Beth, Williams, Amy, Williams, Joshua, Williams, Rebecca, Williams, Richard B, Wilson, Mike, Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert, Wolff, Mike, Wong, Mike, Wray, James, Wu, Megan, Yana, Charles, Yen, Albert, Yingst, Aileen, Zeitlin, Cary, Zimdar, Robert, and Zorzano Mier, María-Paz

Subjects
isotope ratios, MSL-Radiation, Mars
Published
2013

16. Ancient Siliciclastic–Evaporites as Seen by Remote Sensing Instrumentation with Implications for the Rover-Scale Exploration of Sedimentary Environments on Mars.

Author

Meyer, Melissa J., Milliken, Ralph E., Hurowitz, Joel E., and Robertson, Kevin M.

Subjects
*NEAR infrared reflectance spectroscopy, *MARS rovers, *MARS (Planet), *SEDIMENTARY rocks, *MICROPROBE analysis, *X-ray fluorescence, *REMOTE sensing, *SEDIMENTATION & deposition
Abstract

Accurate interpretation of the martian sedimentary rock record—and by extension that planet's paleoenvironmental history and potential habitability—relies heavily on rover-based acquisition of textural and compositional data and researchers to properly interpret those data. However, the degree to which this type of remotely sensed information can be unambiguously resolved and accurately linked to geological processes in ancient sedimentary systems warrants further study. In this study, we characterize Mars-relevant siliciclastic–evaporite samples by traditional laboratory-based geological methods (thin section petrography, X-ray diffraction [XRD], backscattered electron imaging, microprobe chemical analyses) and remote sensing methods relevant to martian rover payloads (visible-near-mid infrared reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence mapping, XRD). We assess each method's ability to resolve primary and secondary sedimentologic features necessary for the accurate interpretation of paleoenvironmental processes. While the most dominant textures and associated compositions (i.e., bedded gypsum evaporite) of the sample suite are readily identified by a combination of remote sensing techniques, equally important, although more subtle, components (i.e., interbedded windblown silt, meniscus cements) are not resolved unambiguously in bulk samples. However, rover-based techniques capable of coordinating spatially resolved compositional measurements with textural imaging reveal important features not readily detected using traditional assessments (i.e., subtle clay–organic associations, microscale diagenetic nodules). Our findings demonstrate the improved generational capacity of rovers to explore ancient sedimentary environments on Mars while also highlighting the complexities in extracting comprehensive paleoenvironmental information when limited to currently available rover-based techniques. Complete and accurate interpretation of ancient martian sedimentary environments, and by extension the habitability of those environments, likely requires sample return or in situ human exploration. Plain Language Summary: Only when correctly translated can the ancient martian sedimentary rock record reveal the environmental evolution of the planet's surface through time. In this case study, we characterize Mars-relevant sedimentary rocks and evaluate the degree to which a comprehensive geological picture can be resolved unambiguously when limited to microscale remote sensing methods relevant to rovers on Mars. While the most dominant textural features and associated compositions of the sample suite are readily identified by a combination of remote sensing techniques, equally important but more subtle components are not resolved unambiguously in bulk samples. However, rover-based techniques capable of coordinating spatially resolved compositional measurements with textural imaging, such as Perseverance Rover's Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry instrument, reveal important features not readily detected by more traditional methods. We demonstrate that rovers have, generationally, improved in their capacity to resolve a true geological picture in ancient sedimentary environments, likely owing to an improved ability to coordinate spatially resolved compositional measurements with textural imaging at the microscale. However, our work also highlights the complexities involved in extracting subtle environmental information when limited to currently available rover-based techniques and suggests that comprehensive interpretation of ancient martian sedimentary systems likely requires sample return or in situ human exploration. Key Points: Mars-relevant samples are characterized using both traditional laboratory and microscale rover-based remote sensing techniques to assess each method's ability to recognize features necessary for accurate paleoenvironmental process interpretation. While some key paleoenvironmental processes can reasonably be inferred via remote sensing methods, others cannot be resolved unambiguously. Perseverance Rover's Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry instrument reveals diagenetic features that would otherwise remain unseen by traditional thin section petrography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2023
Full Text
View/download PDF

17. A ∼3.5 Ga record of water-limited, acidic weathering conditions on Mars

Author

Hurowitz, Joel A. and McLennan, Scott M.

Subjects
*GEOCHEMISTRY, *ROCK-forming minerals, *CHEMICAL weathering, *HYDROGEN-ion concentration
Abstract

Abstract: The secondary mineral budget on Earth is dominated by clay minerals, Al-hydroxides, and Fe-oxides, which are formed under the moderate pH, high water-to-rock ratio conditions typical of Earth''s near-surface environment. In contrast, geochemical analyses of rocks and soils from landed missions to Mars indicate that secondary mineralogy is dominated by Mg (±Fe, Ca)-sulfates and Fe-oxides. This discrepancy can be explained as resulting from differences in the chemical weathering environment of Earth and Mars. We suggest that chemical weathering processes on Mars are dominated by: (1) a low-pH, sulfuric acid-rich environment in which the stoichiometric dissolution of labile mineral phases such as olivine and apatite (±Fe–Ti oxides) is promoted; and (2) relatively low water-to-rock ratio, such that other silicate phases with slower dissolution rates (e.g., plagioclase, pyroxene) do not contribute substantially to the secondary mineral budget at the Martian surface. Under these conditions, Al-mobilization is limited, and the formation of significant Al-bearing secondary phases (e.g., clays, Al-hydroxides, Al-sulfates) is inhibited. The antiquity of rock samples analyzed in-situ on Mars suggest that water-limited acidic weathering conditions have more than likely been the defining characteristic of the Martian aqueous environment for billions of years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Published
2007
Full Text
View/download PDF

18. Production of hydrogen peroxide in Martian and lunar soils

Author

Hurowitz, Joel A., Tosca, Nicholas J., McLennan, Scott M., and Schoonen, Martin A.A.

Subjects
*HYDROGEN peroxide, *ROCK-forming minerals, *LUNAR soil, *MARTIAN atmosphere
Abstract

Abstract: Freshly ground basaltic minerals produce sufficient quantities of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) when immersed in solution to explain the oxidizing characteristics of Martian soil samples collected by the Viking landers. H2O2 production occurs as a result of reactions between water and defects at the surface of mechanically pulverized minerals, analogous to carcinogenic quartz dusts. Our results also indicate that dehydroxylation of mineral surfaces results in increased H2O2 production, a highly relevant finding for dusts on the airless surface of the Moon. Reactive, pulverized minerals are important on planetary bodies where impact processes have generated fine-grained basaltic dusts, and may pose a significant health risk to astronauts visiting planetary surfaces where impacts have generated such materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Published
2007
Full Text
View/download PDF

19. Statistical characterization of PIXL trace element detection limits.

Author

Christian, John R., VanBommel, Scott J., Elam, William T., Ganly, Brianna, Hurowitz, Joel A., Heirwegh, Christopher M., Allwood, Abigail C., Clark, Benton C., Kizovski, Tanya V., and Knight, Abigail L.

Subjects
*DETECTION limit, *MARS rovers, *SIGNAL-to-noise ratio, *TRACE elements, *CERIUM, *STRONTIUM
Abstract

Trace element detection and mapping are key capabilities of the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) on board the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance. However, poor signal-to-noise ratios due to the short integration times required to make high-spatial-resolution map scans operationally feasible raise the possibility of misidentifying statistical noise as a signal from a trace element, which can cause many false detections of a trace element among the hundreds to thousands of data points in each PIXL scan. Here, we apply a statistical technique to quantify the likelihood of such misidentifications and determine what concentration of a trace element must be present to reach statistical confidence in a detection. This approach is anticipated to be applicable both when analyzing existing PIXL data to ensure that noise is not misinterpreted as signals from trace elements and operationally to inform scan parameters when trace elements of interest are anticipated to be present. • M2020 Perseverance PIXL statistical trace element detection confidence is presented • PIXL detection limits for cerium, strontium, and other elements are quantified • Factors influencing trace element detection limits are investigated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2023
Full Text
View/download PDF

20. Geochemical Modeling of Evaporation Processes on Mars: Insight from the Sedimentary Record at Meridiani Planum

Author

Schroder, Christian, Hurowitz, Joel A., Clark, Benton C., Tosca, Nicholas J., Grotzinger, John P., McLennan, Scott M., Squyres, Steven W., and Knoll, Andrew

Subjects
Mars exploration rovers, weathering, Mars, geochemistry, sulfates, evaporites
Abstract

New data returned from the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission have revealed abundant evaporites in the sedimentary record at Meridiani Planum. A working hypothesis for Meridiani evaporite formation involves the evaporation of fluids derived from the weathering of martian basalt and subsequent diagenesis. On Earth, evaporite formation in exclusively basaltic settings is rare. However, models of the evaporation of fluids derived from experimentally weathering synthetic martian basalt provide insight into possible formation mechanisms. The thermodynamic database assembled for this investigation includes both Fe2+ and Fe3+ in Pitzer's ion interaction equations to evaluate Fe redox disequilibrium at Meridiani Planum. Modeling results suggest that evaporation of acidic fluids derived from weathering olivine-bearing basalt should produce Mg, Ca, and Fe-sulfates such as jarosite and melanterite. Calculations that model diagenesis by fluid recharge predict the eventual breakdown of jarosite to goethite as well as the preservation of much of the initial soluble evaporite component at modeled porosity values appropriate for relevant depositional environments (< 0.30). While only one of several possible formation scenarios, this simple model is consistent with much of the chemical and mineralogical data obtained on Meridiani Planum outcrop., Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Published
2005
Full Text
View/download PDF

21. A look back: The drilling campaign of the Curiosity rover during the Mars Science Laboratory's Prime Mission.

Author

Abbey, William, Anderson, Robert, Beegle, Luther, Hurowitz, Joel, Williford, Kenneth, Peters, Gregory, Morookian, John Michael, Collins, Curtis, Feldman, Jason, Kinnett, Ryan, Jandura, Louise, Limonadi, Daniel, Logan, Cambria, McCloskey, Scott, Melko, Joseph, Okon, Avi, Robinson, Matt, Roumeliotis, Chris, Seybold, Calina, and Singer, Jaime

Subjects
*ROBOTICS, *MARS (Planet), *DRILLING & boring, *VENERA (Space probes), *GALE Crater (Mars)
Abstract

Highlights • Curiosity is first robotic drill deployed to another planet since Venera missions. • During first Martian year successfully drilled three full depth drill holes. • Discovered Gale Crater may have once been amenable to Earth-like organisms. • Determined first absolute age date of Martian surface. • Made possible first definitive detection of organic matter on Mars. Abstract The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, completed its first Martian year, 669 sols (687 Earth days), of operation on June 24, 2014. During that time the rover successfully drilled three full depth drill holes into the Martian surface and analyzed the recovered material using onboard instruments, giving us new insights into the potential habitability of ancient Mars. These drill targets are known as 'John Klein' (Sol 182) and 'Cumberland' (Sol 279), which lie in the mudstones of the Yellowknife Bay formation, and 'Windjana' (Sol 621), which lies in the sandstones of the Kimberley formation. In this paper we will discuss what was necessary to procure these samples, including: 1) an overview of the sampling hardware; 2) the steps taken to ensure sampling hardware is safe when drilling into a target (i.e., evaluation of rock type, rover stability, prior testbed experience, etc.); and 3) the drilling parameters used to acquire these samples. We will also describe each target individually and discuss why each sample was desired, the triage steps taken to ensure it could be safely acquired, and the telemetry obtained for each. Finally, we will present scientific highlights obtained from each site utilizing MSL's onboard instrumentation (SAM & CheMin), results enabled by the drills ability to excavate sample at depth and transfer it to these instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2019
Full Text
View/download PDF

22. Iron sulfide weathering by oxyhalogen species: Implications for iron sulfate and (oxyhydr)oxides formation on Mars.

Author

Mitra, Kaushik, Catalano, Jeffrey G., Bahl, Yatharth, and Hurowitz, Joel A.

Subjects
*FERROUS sulfate, *SULFIDE minerals, *IRON sulfides, *MARTIAN surface, *MARS (Planet), *PYRITES, *GOETHITE, *PYRRHOTITE, *IRON
Abstract

• Oxidation of Fe(II) sulfides by chlorate and bromate studied in Mars-like fluids. • Oxyhalogens highly effective as sulfide oxidants on Mars in diverse fluid systems. • Oxyhalogen brines can explain Amazonian jarosite and amorphous Fe sulfates on Mars. • Sulfide bearing units might be indicators of minimal post-depositional alteration. • Oxyhalogens may be responsible for the loss of magmatic sulfides in Mars sediments. Sulfate salts are abundant, widespread, and temporally distributed on the surface of Mars. Several processes, including sulfide weathering, have been proposed to explain the formation and accumulation of oxidized iron(III) hydroxysulfate (e.g., jarosite) in Martian sediments. Oxidative weathering of iron sulfide minerals (like pyrite and pyrrhotite) could explain the presence of sulfate as well as the relative absence of sulfide minerals in Martian sediments. However, the effectiveness of oxyhalogen compounds, plausible oxidants present on Mars, to weather iron sulfides remain unknown. Here we investigate the oxidative weathering of iron sulfide minerals, pyrite and pyrrhotite, by chlorate and bromate in Mars-relevant fluids. Our results demonstrate that both oxyhalogen species readily oxidize iron sulfides and produce an alteration assemblage comprised of elemental sulfur, Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxide (magnetite, goethite, and lepidocrocite), and Fe(III) hydroxysulfates (jarosite and schwertmannite). The mineral products depend strongly on the type of sulfide, oxidant, and initial solution pH. Owing to their abundance and highly reactive nature, oxyhalogen brines could be important Fe(III) hydroxysulfate-forming reagents on early and modern Mars and substantially impact the survivability of sulfide minerals at the Martian surface. Additionally, sulfide bearing units might serve as indicators of minimal post-depositional alteration. Oxyhalogens may be responsible for the loss of magmatic sulfides in surface materials given the prevalence of oxyhalogen brines and the reactivity of the sulfides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2023
Full Text
View/download PDF

23. VNIR multispectral observations of rocks at Cape York, Endeavour crater, Mars by the Opportunity rover’s Pancam.

Author

Farrand, William H., Bell, James F., Johnson, Jeffrey R., Rice, Melissa S., and Hurowitz, Joel A.

Subjects
*CRATERING, *ROVING vehicles (Astronautics), *ROCKS, *PYROXENE, *HEMATITE, *MARS (Planet)
Abstract

Highlights: [•] Spectral rock classes were found on the rim of Endeavour crater using Pancam multispectral data. [•] Six spectrally unique rock classes were determined. [•] Several of these classes were compared against terrestrial spectral library spectra. [•] Spectral matches were found with pyroxenes, hematite or ferric sulfates, and mineral mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2013
Full Text
View/download PDF

24. Discovery of jarosite within the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars: Implications for the geologic history of the region

Author

Farrand, William H., Glotch, Timothy D., Rice, James W., Hurowitz, Joel A., and Swayze, Gregg A.

Subjects
*JAROSITE, *MINERALOGY, *SPECTRUM analysis, *NEAR infrared reflectance spectroscopy, *MARTIAN surface, *MARS (Planet)
Abstract

Abstract: Analysis of visible to near infrared reflectance data from the MRO CRISM hyperspectral imager has revealed the presence of an ovoid-shaped landform, approximately 3 by 5km in size, within the layered terrains surrounding the Mawrth Vallis outflow channel. This feature has spectral absorption features consistent with the presence of the ferric sulfate mineral jarosite, specifically a K-bearing jarosite (KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6). Terrestrial jarosite is formed through the oxidation of iron sulfides in acidic environments or from basaltic precursor minerals with the addition of sulfur. Previously identified phyllosilicates in the Mawrth Vallis layered terrains include a basal sequence of layers containing Fe–Mg smectites and an upper set of layers of hydrated silica and aluminous phyllosilicates. In terms of its fine scale morphology revealed by MRO HiRISE imagery, the jarosite-bearing unit has fracture patterns very similar to that observed in Fe–Mg smectite-bearing layers, but unlike that observed in the Al-bearing phyllosilicate unit. The ovoid-shaped landform is situated in an east–west bowl-shaped depression superposed on a north sloping surface. Spectra of the ovoid-shaped jarosite-bearing landform also display an anomalously high 600nm shoulder, which may be consistent with the presence of goethite and a 1.92μm absorption which could indicate the presence of ferrihydrite. Goethite, jarosite, and ferrihydrite can be co-precipitated and/or form through transformation of schwertmannite, both processes generally occurring under low pH conditions (pH 2–4). To date, this location appears to be unique in the Mawrth Vallis region and could represent precipitation of jarosite in acidic, sulfur-rich ponded water during the waning stages of drying. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Published
2009
Full Text
View/download PDF

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results