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1. In-situ crystallographic mapping constrains sulfate deposition and timing in Jezero crater, Mars

Author

Jones, Michael W. M., Flannery, David T., Hurowitz, Joel A., Tice, Mike T., Schrank, Christoph E., Allwood, Abigail C., Tosca, Nicholas J., Catling, David C., VanBommel, Scott J., Knight, Abigail L., Ganly, Briana, Siebach, Kirsten L., Benison, Kathleen C., Broz, Adrian P., Zorzano, Maria-Paz, Heirwegh, Chris M., Orenstein, Brendan J., Clark, Benton C., Sinclair, Kimberly P., Shumway, Andrew O., Wade, Lawrence A., Davidoff, Scott, Nemere, Peter, Wright, Austin P., Galvin, Adrian E., Randazzo, Nicholas, Martinez-Frias, Jesus, and ONeil, Lauren P.

Subjects
Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics, Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors
Abstract

Late-stage Ca-sulfate-filled fractures are common on Mars. Notably, the Shenandoah formation in the western edge of Jezero crater preserves a variety of Ca-sulfate minerals in the fine-grained siliciclastic rocks explored by the Perseverance rover. However, the depositional environment and timing of the formation of these sulfates is unknown. To address this outstanding problem, we developed a new technique to map the crystal textures of these sulfates in situ at two stratigraphically similar locations in the Shenandoah formation, allowing us to constrain the burial depth and paleoenvironment at the time of their deposition. Our results suggest that some Ca-sulfate analyzed was formed at a burial depth greater than 80m, whereas Ca-sulfates present at another outcrop likely precipitated in a shallow-subsurface environment. These results indicate that samples collected for potential return to Earth at the two studied locations capture two different times and distinct chemical conditions in the depositional history of the Shenandoah formation providing multiple opportunities to evaluate surface and subsurface habitability.

Published
2024

2. Pre-Flight Calibration of PIXL for X-ray Fluorescence Elemental Quantification

Author

Heirwegh, Christopher M., Elam, William Timothy, Liu, Yang, Das, Anusheela, Hummel, Christopher, Naylor, Bret, Wade, Lawrence A., Allwood, Abigail C., Hurowitz, Joel A., Armstrong, Les G., Bacop, Naomi, O'Neil, Lauren P., Sinclair, Kimberly P., Sondheim, Michael E., Denise, Robert W., Lawson, Peter R., Rosas, Rogelio, Kawamura, Jonathan H., Au, Mitchell H., Kitiyakara, Amarit, Foote, Marc C., Romero, Raul A., Anderson, Mark S., Rossman, George R., and Clark III, Benton C.

Subjects
Physics - Applied Physics, Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors, Physics - Space Physics
Abstract

The Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) is a rasterable focused-beam X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer mounted on the arm of National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. To ensure that PIXL would be capable of performing accurate in-flight compositional analysis of martian targets, in situ, an elemental calibration was performed pre-flight on the PIXL flight instrument in a simulated martian environment. The details of this calibration, and implications for measuring unknown materials on Mars are the subjects of this paper. The major goals of this calibration were both to align the spectrometer to perform accurate elemental analysis and, to derive a matrix of uncertainties that are applied to XRF measurements of all elements in unknown materials. A small set of pure element and pure compound targets and geologically relevant reference materials were measured with the flight hardware in a simulated martian environment. Elemental calibration and quantifications were carried out using PIXL's XRF quantification software (PIQUANT). Uncertainties generated were implemented into the PIQUANT software version employed by the PIXL's data visualization software (PIXLISE). We outline in this work, a list of factors that impact micro-XRF accuracy, the methodology and steps involved in the calibration, details on the fabrication of the uncertainty matrix, instructions on the use and interpretations of the uncertainties applied to unknowns and an assessment on the limitations and areas open to future improvement as part of subsequent calibration efforts.

Published
2024

3. Landing on Mars: A Cross-Institutional Research-Based Seminar Series

Author

Kinch, Kjartan, Sølberg, Jan, Horgan, Briony, Adler, Jacob, Hayes, Alexander, Hurowitz, Joel, and Rice, Melissa

Abstract

Engaging students in research can take many forms and such research-based learning is widely perceived as beneficial for student engagement and learning outcomes. Here, we report on our experience with organizing a cross-institutional seminar series dedicated to the question of where on Mars to land a coming NASA Mars mission. The seminar series was connected with the professional process for answering the same question and was organized through teleconferences and an internet site together with local discussions at seven participating institutions. We report on our own reflections as well as student reactions collected through group interviews at five participating institutions. We discuss the results against a model for research-based learning. Coordinating the seminar series across seven institutions and several time zones proved inspiring but challenging. Many specific aspects of how the class was organized could have been improved, but students generally reported high levels of engagement derived from the cutting-edge research nature and current relevance of the subject matter.

Published
2022

4. A coupled model of episodic warming, oxidation and geochemical transitions on early Mars

Author

Wordsworth, Robin, Knoll, Andrew H., Hurowitz, Joel, Baum, Mark, Ehlmann, Bethany L., Head, James W., and Steakley, Kathryn

Subjects
Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics, Physics - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, Physics - Geophysics
Abstract

Reconciling the geology of Mars with models of atmospheric evolution remains a major challenge. Martian geology is characterized by past evidence for episodic surface liquid water, and geochemistry indicating a slow and intermittent transition from wetter to drier and more oxidizing surface conditions. Here we present a new model incorporating randomized injection of reducing greenhouse gases and oxidation due to hydrogen escape, to investigate the conditions responsible for these diverse observations. We find that Mars could have transitioned repeatedly from reducing (H2-rich) to oxidizing (O2-rich) atmospheric conditions in its early history. Our model predicts a generally cold early Mars, with mean annual temperatures below 240 K. If peak reducing gas release rates and background CO2 levels are high enough, it nonetheless exhibits episodic warm intervals sufficient to degrade crater walls, form valley networks and create other fluvial/lacustrine features. Our model also predicts transient buildup of atmospheric O2, which can help explain the occurrence of oxidized mineral species such as manganese oxides at Gale Crater. We suggest that the apparent Noachian--Hesperian transition from phyllosilicate deposition to sulfate deposition around 3.5 billion years ago can be explained as a combined outcome of increasing planetary oxidation, decreasing groundwater availability and a waning bolide impactor flux, which dramatically slowed the remobilization and thermochemical destruction of surface sulfates. Ultimately, rapid and repeated variations in Mars' early climate and surface chemistry would have presented both challenges and opportunities for any emergent microbial life., Comment: Published March 8 2021 in Nature Geoscience

Published
2021
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5. The PIXL Instrument on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

Author

Allwood, Abigail C., Hurowitz, Joel A., Clark, Benton C., Cinquini, Luca, Davidoff, Scott, Denise, Robert W., Elam, W. Timothy, Foote, Marc C., Flannery, David T., Gerhard, James H., Grotzinger, John P., Heirwegh, Christopher M., Hernandez, Christina, Hodyss, Robert P., Jones, Michael W., Jorgensen, John Leif, Henneke, Jesper, Lawson, Peter R., Liu, Yang, MacDonald, Haley, McLennan, Scott M., Moore, Kelsey R., Nachon, Marion, Nemere, Peter, O'Neil, Lauren, Pedersen, David A. K., Sinclair, Kimberly P., Sondheim, Michael E., Song, Eugenie, Tallarida, Nicholas R., Tice, Michael M., Treiman, Alan, Uckert, Kyle, Wade, Lawrence A., Young, Jimmie D., and Zamani, Payam

Subjects
Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors, Physics - Applied Physics
Abstract

The Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) is a micro-focus X-ray fluorescence spectrometer mounted on the robotic arm of NASA's Perseverance rover. PIXL will acquire high spatial resolution observations of rock and soil chemistry, rapidly analyzing the elemental chemistry of a target surface. In 10 seconds, PIXL can use its powerful 120 micrometer diameter X-ray beam to analyze a single, sand-sized grain with enough sensitivity to detect major and minor rock-forming elements, as well as many trace elements. Over a period of several hours, PIXL can autonomously scan an area of the rock surface and acquire a hyperspectral map comprised of several thousand individual measured points., Comment: 2 pages, from 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/1591.pdf

Published
2021

8. The power of paired proximity science observations: Co-located data from SHERLOC and PIXL on Mars

Author

Razzell Hollis, Joseph, Moore, Kelsey R., Sharma, Sunanda, Beegle, Luther, Grotzinger, John P., Allwood, Abigail, Abbey, William, Bhartia, Rohit, Brown, Adrian J., Clark, Benton, Cloutis, Edward, Corpolongo, Andrea, Henneke, Jesper, Hickman-Lewis, Keyron, Hurowitz, Joel A., Jones, Michael W.M., Liu, Yang, Martinez-Frías, Jesús, Murphy, Ashley, Pedersen, David A.K., Shkolyar, Svetlana, Siljeström, Sandra, Steele, Andrew, Tice, Mike, Treiman, Alan, Uckert, Kyle, VanBommel, Scott, and Yanchilina, Anastasia

Published
2022
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9. 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
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10. The reactivity of experimentally reduced lunar regolith simulants: Health implications for future crewed missions to the lunar surface.

Author

Hendrix, Donald A., Catalano, Tristan, Nekvasil, Hanna, Glotch, Timothy D., Legett, Carey, and Hurowitz, Joel A.

Subjects
LUNAR soil, SPACE environment, LUNAR surface, HUMAN space flight, SPACE flight to the moon
Abstract

Crewed missions to the Moon may resume as early as 2026 with NASA's Artemis III mission, and lunar dust exposure/inhalation is a potentially serious health hazard that requires detailed study. Current dust exposure limits are based on Apollo‐era samples that spent decades in long‐term storage on Earth; their diminished reactivity may lead to underestimation of potential harm that could be caused by lunar dust exposure. In particular, lunar dust contains nanophase metallic iron grains, produced by "space weathering"; the reactivity of this unique component of lunar dust is not well understood. Herein, we employ a chemical reduction technique that exposes lunar simulants to heat and hydrogen gas to produce metallic iron particles on grain surfaces. We assess the capacity of these reduced lunar simulants to generate hydroxyl radical (OH*) when immersed in deionized (DI) water, simulated lung fluid (SLF), and artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF). Lunar simulant reduction produces surface‐adhered metallic iron "blebs" that resemble nanophase metallic iron particles found in lunar dust grains. Reduced samples generate ~5–100× greater concentrations of the oxidative OH* in DI water versus non‐reduced simulants, which we attribute to metallic iron. SLF and ALF appear to reduce measured OH*. The increase in observed OH* generation for reduced simulants implies high oxidative damage upon exposure to lunar dust. Low levels of OH* measured in SLF and ALF imply potential damage to proteins or quenching of OH* generation, respectively. Reduction of lunar dust simulants provides a quick cost‐effective approach to study dusty materials analogous to authentic lunar dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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12. Pre- and In-flight Performance of Terrain Relative Navigation on PIXL’s Micro Context Camera, M2020

Author

Klevang, David Arge, primary, Henneke, Jesper, additional, Benn, Mathias, additional, Denver, Troelz, additional, Jørgensen, Peter S., additional, Jørgensen, John L., additional, Wade, Lawrence A., additional, Denise, Robert, additional, Elam, W. Tim, additional, Van Beek, Jason, additional, Cable, Morgan, additional, Hurowitz, Joel, additional, and Allwood, Abigail, additional

Published
2024
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16. Correction to: 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 T., 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
2021
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17. 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
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18. 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
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19. 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
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21. 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

22. Reassessing evidence of life in 3,700-million-year-old rocks of Greenland

Author

Allwood, Abigail C., Rosing, Minik T., Flannery, David T., Hurowitz, Joel A., and Heirwegh, Christopher M.

Subjects
Geomorphology -- Research, Geological research, Metamorphism (Geology), Burial, Mars (Planet), Carbonates, Extraterrestrial life, Metamorphic rocks, Environmental issues, Science and technology, Zoology and wildlife conservation
Abstract

The Palaeoarchean supracrustal belts in Greenland contain Earth's oldest rocks and are a prime target in the search for the earliest evidence of life on Earth. However, metamorphism has largely obliterated original rock textures and compositions, posing a challenge to the preservation of biological signatures. A recent study of 3,700-million-year-old rocks of the Isua supracrustal belt in Greenland described a rare zone in which low deformation and a closed metamorphic system allowed preservation of primary sedimentary features, including putative conical and domical stromatolites.sup.1 (laminated accretionary structures formed by microbially mediated sedimentation). The morphology, layering, mineralogy, chemistry and geological context of the structures were attributed to the formation of microbial mats in a shallow marine environment by 3,700 million years ago, at the start of Earth's rock record. Here we report new research that shows a non-biological, post-depositional origin for the structures. Three-dimensional analysis of the morphology and orientation of the structures within the context of host rock fabrics, combined with texture-specific analyses of major and trace element chemistry, show that the 'stromatolites' are more plausibly interpreted as part of an assemblage of deformation structures formed in carbonate-altered metasediments long after burial. The investigation of the structures of the Isua supracrustal belt serves as a cautionary tale in the search for signs of past life on Mars, highlighting the importance of three-dimensional, integrated analysis of morphology, rock fabrics and geochemistry at appropriate scales.In contrast to a previous study of 3,700-million-year-old rocks of the Isua supracrustal belt in Greenland, which presented fossil evidence of stromatolites (macroscopic remains of layered microbial communities), this study shows that these 'stromatolites' are features of deformation unconnected to the processes of organic life., Author(s): Abigail C. Allwood [sup.1] , Minik T. Rosing [sup.2] , David T. Flannery [sup.1] , Joel A. Hurowitz [sup.3] , Christopher M. Heirwegh [sup.1] Author Affiliations:(1) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, [...]

Published
2018
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26. Alteration history of Séítah formation rocks inferred by PIXL x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, and multispectral imaging on Mars

Author

Tice, Michael M, Hurowitz, Joel A, Allwood, Abigail C, Jones, Michael WM, Orenstein, Brendan J, Davidoff, Scott, Wright, Austin P, Pedersen, David AK, Henneke, Jesper, Tosca, Nicholas J, Moore, Kelsey R, Clark, Benton C, McLennan, Scott M, Flannery, David T, Steele, Andrew, Brown, Adrian J, Zorzano, Maria-Paz, Hickman-Lewis, Keyron, Liu, Yang, VanBommel, Scott J, Schmidt, Mariek E, Kizovski, Tanya V, Treiman, Allan H, O'Neil, Lauren, Fairén, Alberto G, Shuster, David L, Gupta, Sanjeev, PIXL Team, Tice, Michael M [0000-0003-2560-1702], Hurowitz, Joel A [0000-0002-5857-8652], Jones, Michael WM [0000-0002-0720-8715], Orenstein, Brendan J [0000-0002-6586-4227], Davidoff, Scott [0000-0002-4417-7268], Wright, Austin P [0000-0002-0197-4638], Pedersen, David AK [0000-0001-7182-8567], Henneke, Jesper [0000-0002-3195-7417], Tosca, Nicholas J [0000-0003-4415-4231], Clark, Benton C [0000-0002-5546-8757], McLennan, Scott M [0000-0003-4259-7178], Flannery, David T [0000-0001-8982-496X], Steele, Andrew [0000-0001-9643-2841], Brown, Adrian J [0000-0002-9352-6989], Zorzano, Maria-Paz [0000-0002-4492-9650], Hickman-Lewis, Keyron [0000-0001-8014-233X], Liu, Yang [0000-0003-0308-0942], VanBommel, Scott J [0000-0002-6565-0827], Schmidt, Mariek E [0000-0003-4793-7899], Kizovski, Tanya V [0000-0001-8188-9769], Treiman, Allan H [0000-0002-8073-2839], O'Neil, Lauren [0000-0003-1555-8229], Fairén, Alberto G [0000-0002-2938-6010], Shuster, David L [0000-0003-2507-9977], Gupta, Sanjeev [0000-0001-6415-1332], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository

Subjects
PIXL Team
Abstract

Collocated crystal sizes and mineral identities are critical for interpreting textural relationships in rocks and testing geological hypotheses, but it has been previously impossible to unambiguously constrain these properties using in situ instruments on Mars rovers. Here, we demonstrate that diffracted and fluoresced x-rays detected by the PIXL instrument (an x-ray fluorescence microscope on the Perseverance rover) provide information about the presence or absence of coherent crystalline domains in various minerals. X-ray analysis and multispectral imaging of rocks from the Séítah formation on the floor of Jezero crater shows that they were emplaced as coarsely crystalline igneous phases. Olivine grains were then partially dissolved and filled by finely crystalline or amorphous secondary silicate, carbonate, sulfate, and chloride/oxychlorine minerals. These results support the hypothesis that Séítah formation rocks represent olivine cumulates altered by fluids far from chemical equilibrium at low water-rock ratios.

Published
2022
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27. List of Contributors

Author

Allwood, Abigail C., primary, Arvidson, Raymond E., additional, Baglioni, Pietro, additional, Beaty, David, additional, Beegle, Luther W., additional, Berger, Jeff A., additional, Bhartia, Rohit, additional, Bibring, Jean-Pierre, additional, Bishop, Janice L., additional, Brack, André, additional, Brinckerhoff, William, additional, Brown, Adrian J., additional, Cabrol, Nathalie A., additional, Cady, Sherry L., additional, Catalano, Jeffrey G., additional, Ciarletti, Valérie, additional, Coates, Andrew J., additional, Davila, Alfonso, additional, De Sanctis, M. Cristina, additional, Elphic, Richard C., additional, Farley, Kenneth A., additional, Farmer, Jack D., additional, Flannery, David T., additional, Goesmann, Fred, additional, Grin, Edmond A., additional, Gulick, Virginia G., additional, Häder, Donat-Peter, additional, Hamilton, David, additional, Hamran, Svein-Erik, additional, Hecht, Michael H., additional, Hinman, Nancy W., additional, Hurowitz, Joel A., additional, Jaumann, Ralf, additional, Josset, Jean-Luc, additional, de la Torre Juarez, Manuel, additional, Kminek, Gerhard, additional, Korablev, Oleg, additional, Maurice, Sylvestre, additional, McEwen, Alfred S., additional, McKay, Christopher, additional, Milkovich, Sarah, additional, Mitrofanov, Igor, additional, Moersch, Jeffrey, additional, Noffke, Nora, additional, Phillips, Cynthia, additional, Quinn, Richard, additional, Raulin, François, additional, Rodionov, Daniel, additional, Rodriguez-Manfredi, Jose A., additional, Rull, Fernando, additional, Sefton-Nash, Elliot, additional, Skok, John R., additional, Sobron, Pablo, additional, Stack, Kathryn M., additional, Summers, David, additional, Summons, Roger E., additional, Svedhem, Håkan, additional, Teodoro, Luis, additional, Vago, Jorge L., additional, Walter, Malcolm R., additional, Warren-Rhodes, Kimberley, additional, Westall, Frances, additional, Wettergreen, David S., additional, Wiens, Roger C., additional, Williford, Kenneth H., additional, Winter, Diane, additional, and Zippi, Pierre, additional

Published
2018
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28. The NASA Mars 2020 Rover Mission and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Author

Williford, Kenneth H., primary, Farley, Kenneth A., additional, Stack, Kathryn M., additional, Allwood, Abigail C., additional, Beaty, David, additional, Beegle, Luther W., additional, Bhartia, Rohit, additional, Brown, Adrian J., additional, de la Torre Juarez, Manuel, additional, Hamran, Svein-Erik, additional, Hecht, Michael H., additional, Hurowitz, Joel A., additional, Rodriguez-Manfredi, Jose A., additional, Maurice, Sylvestre, additional, Milkovich, Sarah, additional, and Wiens, Roger C., additional

Published
2018
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29. A varnish-like high-manganese rock coating in Jezero crater, Mars

Author

Lanza, Nina, primary, Gasda, Patrick, additional, Ollila, Ann, additional, Chide, Baptiste, additional, Garczynski, Bradley, additional, Johnson, Jeffrey, additional, Fischer, Woodward, additional, Treiman, Allan, additional, Williams, Amy, additional, VanBommel, Scott, additional, Knight, Abigail, additional, Hurowitz, Joel, additional, Sharma, Sunanda, additional, Kalucha, Hemani, additional, Conrad, Pamela, additional, Benzerara, Karim, additional, Clave, Elise, additional, Mandon, Lucia, additional, Wiens, Roger, additional, and Maurice, Sylvestre, additional

Published
2023
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31. Provenance and Diagenesis of Martian Sedimentary Rocks in the Jezero Crater Delta Front from Microscale Observations by the Mars 2020 PIXL Instrument

Author

Hurowitz, Joel, primary, Tice, Michael, additional, Allwood, Abigail, additional, Cable, Morgan, additional, Bosak, Tanja, additional, Broz, Adrian, additional, Caravaca, Gwénaël, additional, Clark, Ben, additional, Dehouck, Erwin, additional, Fairen, Alberto, additional, Gomez, Felipe, additional, Grotzinger, John, additional, Gupta, Sanjeev, additional, Johnson, Jeffrey, additional, Kah, Linda, additional, Kalucha, Hemani, additional, Labrie, Josh, additional, Li, An, additional, Mandon, Lucia, additional, Núñez, Jorge, additional, Pedersen, David, additional, Poulet, Francois, additional, Randazzo, Nicolas, additional, Scheller, Eva, additional, Schmidt, Mariek, additional, Shuster, David, additional, Siebach, Kirsten, additional, Siljeström, Sandra, additional, Simon, Justin, additional, Tosca, Nicholas, additional, Treiman, Allan, additional, VanBommel, Scott, additional, Wade, Lawrence, additional, Williford, Kenneth, additional, and Yanchilina, Anastasia, additional

Published
2023
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32. Thermal history and water contents in the Seitah igneous rocks in Jezero, Mars

Author

Liu, Yang, primary, Asimow, Paul, additional, Schmidt, Mariek, additional, Treiman, Allan, additional, Randazzo, Nicolas, additional, Hernández-Montenegro, Juan David, additional, Udry, Arya, additional, Herd, Christopher, additional, Allwood, Abigail, additional, Hurowitz, Joel, additional, Pedersen, David, additional, Henneke, Jesper, additional, Simon, Justin, additional, Brown, Adrian, additional, and Cable, Morgan, additional

Published
2023
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33. Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Ancient Sedimentary Rocks Analyzed by the SuperCam Instrument in the Jezero Delta, Mars

Author

Dehouck, Erwin, primary, Forni, Olivier, additional, Quantin-Nataf, Cathy, additional, Beck, Pierre, additional, Mangold, Nicolas, additional, Royer, Clément, additional, Clavé, Elise, additional, Beyssac, Olivier, additional, Johnson, Jeffrey, additional, Mandon, Lucia, additional, Poulet, Francois, additional, Le Mouélic, Stéphane, additional, Caravaca, Gwénaël, additional, Kalucha, Hemani, additional, Gibbons, Erin, additional, Dromart, Gilles, additional, Gasda, Patrick, additional, Meslin, Pierre-Yves, additional, Williams, Amy, additional, Schroeder, Susanne, additional, Udry, Arya, additional, Anderson, Ryan, additional, Clegg, Sam, additional, Cousin, Agnes, additional, Gabriel, Travis, additional, Lasue, Jérémie, additional, Fouchet, Thierry, additional, Pilleri, Paolo, additional, Pilorget, Cédric, additional, Hurowitz, Joel, additional, Núñez, Jorge, additional, Russell, Patrick, additional, Simon, Justin, additional, Maurice, Sylvestre, additional, and Wiens, Roger, additional

Published
2023
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34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. Accelerating Astrobiology

Author

Heirwegh, Chris, Elam, Tim, Liu, Yang, Hodyss, Rob, Flannery, David, Hurowitz, Joel, Allwood, Abigail, Galvin, Adrian, Nair, Pooja, Schurman, David, Thompson, David, Lombeyda, Santiago, Hendrie, Maggie, Mushkin, Hillary, and Davidoff, Scott

Abstract

UNKNOWN

Published
2019

38. Accelerating Astrobiology

Author

Davidoff, Scott, Mushkin, Hillary, Hendrie, Maggie, Lombeyda, Santiago, Thompson, David, Schurman, David, Nair, Pooja, Galvin, Adrian, Allwood, Abigail, Hurowitz, Joel, Flannery, David, Hodyss, Rob, Liu, Yang, Elam, Tim, and Heirwegh, Chris

Published
2019

39. Alteration history of Séítah formation rocks inferred by PIXL x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, and multispectral imaging on Mars

Author

Tice, Michael M., Hurowitz, Joel A., Allwood, Abigail C., Jones, Michael W. M., Orenstein, Brendan J., Davidoff, Scott, Wright, Austin P., Pedersen, David A. K., Henneke, Jesper, Tosca, Nicholas J., Moore, Kelsey R., Clark, Benton C., McLennan, Scott M., Flannery, David T., Steele, Andrew, Brown, Adrian J., Zorzano, Maria-Paz, Hickman-Lewis, Keyron, Liu, Yang, VanBommel, Scott J., Schmidt, Mariek E., Kizovski, Tanya V., Treiman, Allan H., O'Neil, Lauren, Fairén, Alberto G., Shuster, David L., and Gupta, Sanjeev

Subjects
Multidisciplinary
Abstract

Collocated crystal sizes and mineral identities are critical for interpreting textural relationships in rocks and testing geological hypotheses, but it has been previously impossible to unambiguously constrain these properties using in situ instruments on Mars rovers. Here, we demonstrate that diffracted and fluoresced x-rays detected by the PIXL instrument (an x-ray fluorescence microscope on the Perseverance rover) provide information about the presence or absence of coherent crystalline domains in various minerals. X-ray analysis and multispectral imaging of rocks from the Séítah formation on the floor of Jezero crater shows that they were emplaced as coarsely crystalline igneous phases. Olivine grains were then partially dissolved and filled by finely crystalline or amorphous secondary silicate, carbonate, sulfate, and chloride/oxychlorine minerals. These results support the hypothesis that Séítah formation rocks represent olivine cumulates altered by fluids far from chemical equilibrium at low water-rock ratios.

Published
2022
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42. Organic Matter Preserved in 3-Billion-Year-Old Mudstones at Gale Crater, Mars

Author

Eigenbrode, Jennifer L, Summons, Roger E, Archer, Paul D., Jr, Mahaffy, Paul R, Conrad, Pamela G, Hurowitz, Joel A, Grotzinger, John P, Gupta, Sanjeev, Ming, Doug W, Sumner, Dawn Y, Szopa, Cyril, Malespin, Charles, Steele, Andrew, Buch, Arnaud, Coll, Patrice, Freissinet, Caroline, Millan, Maeva, Navarro-González, Rafael, Sutter, Brad, McAdam, Amy C, Franz, Heather, and Glavin, Daniel P

Subjects
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Abstract

Establishing the presence and state of organic matter, including its possible biosignatures, in martian materials has been an elusive quest, despite limited reports of the existence of organic matter on Mars. We report the in situ detection of organic matter preserved in lacustrine mudstones at the base of the ~3.5-billion-year-old Murray formation at Pahrump Hills, Gale crater, by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite onboard the Curiosity rover. Diverse pyrolysis products, including thiophenic, aromatic, and aliphatic compounds released at high temperatures (500° to 820°C), were directly detected by evolved gas analysis. Thiophenes were also observed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Their presence suggests that sulfurization aided organic matter preservation. At least 50 nanomoles of organic carbon persists, probably as macromolecules containing 5% carbon as organic sulfur molecules.

Published
2018
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44. Landing on Mars:A Cross-Institutional Research-Based Seminar Series

Author

Kinch, Kjartan, Sølberg, Jan, Horgan, Briony, Adler, Jacob, Hayes, Alexander, Hurowitz, Joel, Rice, Melissa S., Kinch, Kjartan, Sølberg, Jan, Horgan, Briony, Adler, Jacob, Hayes, Alexander, Hurowitz, Joel, and Rice, Melissa S.

Abstract

Engaging students in research can take many forms and such research-based learning is widely perceived as beneficial for student engagement and learning outcomes. Here, we report on our experience with organizing a cross-institutional seminar series dedicated to the question of where on Mars to land a coming NASA Mars mission. The seminar series was connected with the professional process for answering the same question and was organized through teleconferences and an internet site together with local discussions at seven participating institutions. We report on our own reflections as well as student reactions collected through group interviews at five participating institutions. We discuss the results against a model for research-based learning. Coordinating the seminar series across seven institutions and several time zones proved inspiring but challenging. Many specific aspects of how the class was organized could have been improved, but students generally reported high levels of engagement derived from the cutting-edge research nature and current relevance of the subject matter.

Published
2022

45. The power of paired proximity science observations: Co-located data from SHERLOC and PIXL on Mars

Author

Hollis, Joseph Razzell, Moore, Kelsey R., Sharma, Sunanda, Beegle, Luther, Grotzinger, John P., Allwood, Abigail, Abbey, William, Bhartia, Rohit, Brown, Adrian J., Clark, Benton, Cloutis, Edward, Corpolongo, Andrea, Henneke, Jesper, Hickman-Lewis, Keyron, Hurowitz, Joel A., Jones, Michael W.M., Liu, Yang, Martinez-Frías, Jesús, Murphy, Ashley, Pedersen, David A.K., Shkolyar, Svetlana, Siljeström, Sandra, Steele, Andrew, Tice, Mike, Treiman, Alan, Uckert, Kyle, VanBommel, Scott, Yanchilina, Anastasia, Hollis, Joseph Razzell, Moore, Kelsey R., Sharma, Sunanda, Beegle, Luther, Grotzinger, John P., Allwood, Abigail, Abbey, William, Bhartia, Rohit, Brown, Adrian J., Clark, Benton, Cloutis, Edward, Corpolongo, Andrea, Henneke, Jesper, Hickman-Lewis, Keyron, Hurowitz, Joel A., Jones, Michael W.M., Liu, Yang, Martinez-Frías, Jesús, Murphy, Ashley, Pedersen, David A.K., Shkolyar, Svetlana, Siljeström, Sandra, Steele, Andrew, Tice, Mike, Treiman, Alan, Uckert, Kyle, VanBommel, Scott, and Yanchilina, Anastasia

Abstract

We present a synthesis of PIXL elemental data and SHERLOC Raman spectra collected on two targets investigated by the Perseverance rover during the first year of its exploration of Jezero Crater, Mars. The Bellegarde target (in the Máaz formation) and Dourbes target (in the Séítah formation) exhibit distinctive mineralogies that are an ideal case study for in situ analysis by SHERLOC and PIXL. Each instrument alone produces valuable data about the chemistry and spatial distribution of mineral phases at the sub-millimeter scale. However, combining data from both instruments provides a more robust interpretation that overcomes the limitations of either instrument, for example: 1) Detection of correlated calcium and sulfur in Bellegarde by PIXL is corroborated by the co-located detection of calcium sulfate by SHERLOC. 2) Detection of sodium and chlorine in Dourbes is consistent with either chloride or oxychlorine salts, but SHERLOC does not detect perchlorate or chlorate. 3) A Raman peak at 1120 cm−1 in Dourbes could be sulfate or pyroxene, but elemental abundances from PIXL at that location are a better match to pyroxene. This study emphasizes the importance of analyzing co-located data from both instruments together, to obtain a more complete picture of sub-millimeter-scale mineralogy measured in situ in Jezero crater, Mars, by the Perseverance rover.

Published
2022

47. Profiling Martian Dust Using PIXL Images

Author

Henneke, Jesper, primary, Pedersen, David A. K., additional, Jørgensen, John Leif, additional, Liu, Yang, additional, Allwood, Abigail C., additional, Hurowitz, Joel, additional, Schmidt, Mariek E., additional, and VanBommel, Scott J., additional

Published
2022
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48. PIXL’s Micro Context Camera performance on the surface of Mars

Author

Pedersen, David, primary, Henneke, Jesper, additional, Jørgensen, John Leif, additional, Benn, Mathias, additional, Denver, Troelz, additional, Timmermann, Lars, additional, Liebe, Carl Christian, additional, Denise, Robert, additional, Elam, Tim, additional, Wade, Lawrence, additional, Foote, Marc, additional, Hurowitz, Joel, additional, and Allwood, Abigail, additional

Published
2022
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