Dust cover on Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) calibration target: Implications for deposition and removal mechanisms

Yingst, R. A.; Bray, S. L.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Lemmon, M. T.; Minitti, M. E.; Schmidt, M. E.; Edgett, K. S.; Fey, D.; Kah, L. C.

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113872

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…While dust accumulates on both horizontal and vertical rover surfaces, vertical surfaces experience more efficient cleaning and less net accumulation (Yingst et al. 2020 ). Gale crater may be a net source of dust in southern spring and summer (Moore et al.…”

Section: Atmospheric Evolution and The Modern Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mission Overview and Scientific Contributions from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover After Eight Years of Surface Operations

Vasavada

2022

Space Sci Rev

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NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, with its Curiosity rover, has been exploring Gale crater (5.4° S, 137.8° E) since 2012 with the goal of assessing the potential of Mars to support life. The mission has compiled compelling evidence that the crater basin accumulated sediment transported by marginal rivers into lakes that likely persisted for millions of years approximately 3.6 Ga ago in the early Hesperian. Geochemical and mineralogical assessments indicate that environmental conditions within this timeframe would have been suitable for sustaining life, if it ever were present. Fluids simultaneously circulated in the subsurface and likely existed through the dry phases of lake bed exposure and aeolian deposition, conceivably creating a continuously habitable subsurface environment that persisted to less than 3 Ga in the early Amazonian. A diversity of organic molecules has been preserved, though degraded, with evidence for more complex precursors. Solid samples show highly variable isotopic abundances of sulfur, chlorine, and carbon. In situ studies of modern wind-driven sediment transport and multiple large and active aeolian deposits have led to advances in understanding bedform development and the initiation of saltation. Investigation of the modern atmosphere and environment has improved constraints on the timing and magnitude of atmospheric loss, revealed the presence of methane and the crater’s influence on local meteorology, and provided measurements of high-energy radiation at Mars’ surface in preparation for future crewed missions. Rover systems and science instruments remain capable of addressing all key scientific objectives. Emphases on advance planning, flexibility, operations support work, and team culture have allowed the mission team to maintain a high level of productivity in spite of declining rover power and funding.

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Section: Atmospheric Evolution and The Modern Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mission Overview and Scientific Contributions from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover After Eight Years of Surface Operations

Vasavada

2022

Space Sci Rev

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“…Local enhancement of dust removal from roughness elements is likely caused by the compounding effect of protrusion: as a roughness element increases in size, it protrudes further into the boundary layer, where wind speed is higher, and it more effectively obstructs the incident air‐flow, generating more turbulent horseshoe, tip, arch, and trailing vortices (Pattenden et al., 2005). Observations by Curiosity also report preferential dust removal from protruding artificial and geological elements, in contrast to horizontal surfaces that are mainly subjected to dust accumulation (Yingst et al., 2020). Preferential stripping of dust deposits from rocks and protrusions was also observed at Viking during a global dust storm (Moore, 1985).…”

Section: Investigation Of Wind‐induced Detachment Threshold and Enhancing Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vortex‐Dominated Aeolian Activity at InSight's Landing Site, Part 1: Multi‐Instrument Observations, Analysis, and Implications

Charalambous

McClean²,

Baker

et al. 2021

JGR Planets

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 Aeolian activity at the InSight landing site is identified using simultaneous imaging, meteorological, seismological, and magnetic measurements for the first time on Mars  Infrequent episodes of creep, dust lifting, saltation and track formation largely coincide with the early afternoon passage of convective vortices  Paucity of observations of saltation coupled with bright appearance of dust-coated surfaces suggests surface stability around InSight

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“…For this paper, we do not interpret the entire Blunts Point member, but instead include these targets for comparison with targets within the Pettegrove Point and Jura members. MAHLI images that were taken at nonbedrock targets, including eolian sand ripples, an irregular cluster of float rocks investigated between sols 2,016 and 2,022 (Fraeman et al., 2020), or rover hardware (e.g., wheel imaging, calibration targets; e.g., Yingst et al., 2020) are not included in this manuscript. Finally, although images are often centered around a specific target within the image scene; here, we analyze everything that is visible within each MAHLI image; when more than one image focused on the same area, we count those as a single target.…”

Section: Data Sets and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagenesis Revealed by Fine‐Scale Features at Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars

et al. 2021

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ridge (VRR) is a linear, topographically high feature that parallels the northwestern perimeter of lower Aeolis Mons (informally, Mt. Sharp) in Gale crater, Mars (Figure 1; Anderson & Bell, 2010). From orbital data, VRR is distinct from the subjacent and superjacent rocks in that it shows a strong spectral absorption attributed to hematite (Fraeman et al., 2013). However, from Curiosity images, the rocks in VRR are laminated mudstone like the underlying strata (Edgar et al., 2020). Rocks within the ridge are inferred to have been deposited in lacustrine environments, similar to the Mt. Sharp rocks below (Edgar et al., 2020;

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Dust cover on Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) calibration target: Implications for deposition and removal mechanisms

Cited by 18 publications

References 41 publications

Mission Overview and Scientific Contributions from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover After Eight Years of Surface Operations

Mission Overview and Scientific Contributions from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover After Eight Years of Surface Operations

Vortex‐Dominated Aeolian Activity at InSight's Landing Site, Part 1: Multi‐Instrument Observations, Analysis, and Implications

Diagenesis Revealed by Fine‐Scale Features at Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars

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