Geology and Physical Properties Investigations by the InSight Lander

Golombek, M. P.; Grott, M.; Kargl, Günter; Andrade, José E.; Marshall, J.; Warner, N.; Teanby, N. A.; Ansan, V.; Hauber, Ernst; Voigt, Joana; Lichtenheldt, Roy; Knapmeyer‐Endrun, Brigitte; Daubar, I. J.; Kipp, D.; Müller, N.; Lognonné, Philippe; Schmelzbach, Cédric; Banfield, Don; Trebi-Ollennu, A.; Maki, J. N.; Kedar, S.; Mimoun, David; Murdoch, Naomi; Piqueux, S.; Delage, Pierre; Pike, W. T.; Charalambous, Constantinos; Lorenz, Ralph D.; Fayon, Lucile; Lucas, Antoine; Rodríguez, S.; Morgan, Paul; Spiga, Aymeric; Panning, M. P.; Spohn, Tilman; Smrekar, S. E.; Гудкова, Т. В.; Garcia, Raphaël; Giardini, Domenico; Christensen, Ulrich R.; Nicollier, Tobias; Sollberger, David; Robertsson, Johan O. A.; Ali, Khaled; Kenda, B.; Banerdt, W. B.

doi:10.1007/s11214-018-0512-7

Cited by 87 publications

(172 citation statements)

References 198 publications

(259 reference statements)

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“…Although Homestead hollow formed into basaltic‐composition plains (Pan et al, ) that could be sedimentary or volcanic (Tanaka et al, ), as summarized by Golombek et al (, ), Warner et al (), and Pan et al (), we favor a volcanic lava origin based on (1) relative proximity to north‐south trending wrinkle ridges; (2) the presence of degraded lobate flow margins in the region (Golombek et al, ); (3) a number of 10 to 100‐m‐scale rocky ejecta craters near the landing site showing ejected rocks with a low albedo which is consistent with a strong competent layer ~20–200 m deep (Warner et al, ), (4) occurrence of platy and ridged surface textures and possible lava inflation plateaus and volcanic vents (Pan et al, ); (5) rocks with a fairly uniformly fine‐grained aphanitic texture (Golombek et al, , ); (6) an absence of any observable sedimentary structures in rocks at the landing site; and (7) evidence that the broader Hesperian transition unit (Tanaka et al, ) experienced an Early Amazonian‐aged resurfacing event in the vicinity of the landing site that was probably linked to regionally occurring Amazonian volcanism (Warner et al, ).…”

Section: Background and Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Impact formation of the hollow at ~0.4–0.7 Ga (Sweeney et al, ; Golombek et al, ; Warner, Grant, Wilson, Golombek, DeMott, Hauber, et al, ; Warner, Grant, Wilson, Golombek, DeMott, Charalambous, et al, ; Wilson et al, ) further fragmented an existing regolith averaging a few meters thick (Golombek et al, , ; Warner et al, ) that was likely capped by the eroded remnants of the ~20 cm thick or less ejecta associated with the larger, older ~100 m‐diameter crater that extended into the area (based on expected relationships between decreasing ejecta thickness with increasing distance beyond the rim, see Melosh, , and McGetchin et al, ). Expectations from ejecta at Meteor Crater on Earth (Grant & Schultz, ) and examples from Gusev crater (Grant, Wilson, et al, ) indicate debris excavated during hollow formation created an ejecta deposit of mixed fragments of varying size distribution, but with many more small fragments relative to large fragments.…”

Section: Degradation Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Degradation of Homestead Hollow at the InSight Landing Site Based on the Distribution and Properties of Local Deposits

et al. 2020

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The InSight mission landed its scientific payload in Homestead hollow, a quasi-circular depression interpreted to be a highly degraded impact crater that is 27 m in diameter. The original pristine crater formed in a preexisting impact-generated regolith averaging~3 m thick and the surrounding ejecta deposit, consisting of coarse and mostly fine fragments, was in disequilibrium with local geomorphic thresholds. As a result, early, relatively rapid degradation by mostly eolian, and lesser impact processes and mass-wasting, stripped the rim and mostly infilled the hollow where sediments were sequestered. Early, faster degradation during the first~0.1 Ga was followed by much slower degradation over the bulk of the 0.4-0.7 Ga history of the crater. Pulses of much lesser degradation are attributed to impacts in and nearby the hollow, which emplaced some rocks as ejecta and provided small inventories of fine sediments for limited additional infilling. Even lesser sediments were derived from the very slow production of fines via weathering of resistant basaltic rocks. Nevertheless, indurated regolith caps the sediment fill within the hollow and creates a relatively stable present-day surface that further sequesters infilling sediments from remobilization. The degradation sequence at Homestead hollow is like that established at the Spirit rover landing site in Gusev crater and points to the importance of eolian, and lesser impact and mass-wasting processes, in degrading volcanic surfaces on Mars over the past~1 Ga.Plain Language Summary The InSight mission landed in a highly degraded impact crater dubbed Homestead hollow in Elysium Planitia on Mars. The hollow interior is quite flat and smooth, and mostly infilled by fine-grained sediments. Rocks are 2-3 times more numerous on the western side dubbed Rocky Field. The hollow lacks a raised rim but is marked by an increase in larger rocks. The distribution of windblown and impact materials within, around, and local to the hollow indicate degradation was mostly by wind stripping of fines from the rim and depositing them inside the hollow, with lesser contributions from impact and mass wasting processes. Rocky Field was likely formed by emplacement of ejecta during a nearby impact event occurring relatively soon after Homestead hollow formed. Most degradation occurred during the first~0.1 Ga after hollow formation. Limited modification over most of hollow history was associated with small pulses of infilling and rock emplacement during/following nearby impact events and very slow weathering of basaltic rocks. Degradation at Homestead hollow is similar to the modification of small craters at the Spirit landing site in Gusev crater, which shows common geomorphic processes occurred on comparable surfaces in different places on Mars during the last~1 Ga.

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Section: Background and Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Degradation Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Degradation of Homestead Hollow at the InSight Landing Site Based on the Distribution and Properties of Local Deposits

et al. 2020

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“…Regional geologic mapping identified this portion of western Elysium Planitia as part of the Early Hesperian transitional unit (eHt), comprised of layered volcanic and/or sedimentary materials (Tanaka et al, 2014). Pre‐ and post‐landing geomorphic, thermal, and mineralogic observations support a basaltic volcanic origin (Golombek et al, 2018; Pan et al, 2019). North‐south trending wrinkle ridges, 10‐ to 100‐m‐diameter (order of magnitude) rocky ejecta craters (RECs), degraded lobate flow margins, and spectra consistent with mafic minerals at shallow depths (exposed in fresh crater walls), have all been identified within the immediate region surrounding and including the landing ellipse (Golombek et al, 2018; Pan et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Pre‐ and post‐landing geomorphic, thermal, and mineralogic observations support a basaltic volcanic origin (Golombek et al, 2018; Pan et al, 2019). North‐south trending wrinkle ridges, 10‐ to 100‐m‐diameter (order of magnitude) rocky ejecta craters (RECs), degraded lobate flow margins, and spectra consistent with mafic minerals at shallow depths (exposed in fresh crater walls), have all been identified within the immediate region surrounding and including the landing ellipse (Golombek et al, 2018; Pan et al, 2019). Impact crater statistics using the SFD of craters between 200 m and 1 km in diameter suggest an Early Amazonian resurfacing age that is likely associated with regional Amazonian volcanism (Warner et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

An Impact Crater Origin for the InSight Landing Site at Homestead Hollow, Mars: Implications for Near Surface Stratigraphy, Surface Processes, and Erosion Rates

et al. 2020

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The InSight mission to Mars landed within Homestead hollow on an Early Amazonian lava plain. The hollow is a 27-m-diameter, 0.3-m-deep quasi-circular depression that shares morphologic and sedimentologic characteristics to degraded impact craters. Unlike the intercrater plains outside of the hollow, the interior lacks cobbles and is dominated by loose sand, granules, and pebbles. Fresher craters near the landing site exhibit meter-scale bedforms in their ejecta and on their floors due to sediment trapping. The sedimentology of the interior fill of Homestead hollow suggests similar trapping. The hollow falls along a morphologic continuum that requires low rates of rim degradation and fill. Crater degradation rates (rim erosion plus filling) in the landing site decline nonlinearly through time from 10 −2 to 10 −4 m/Myr as craters evolve to a hollow-like form. Rim erosion rates are lower initially, at 10 −3 m/Myr, but converge with degradation rates to 10 −4 m/Myr. This implies that while filling plays an important role soon after crater formation, it is limited in later stages. Crater statistics indicate that the bulk of the fill occurred in the first 50 Myr for Homestead hollow. The estimated maximum age of the hollow is~400 to 700 Myr. This requires near-zero fill aggradation and long-term soil stability for the bulk of the crater's history. Fill stability manifests in Homestead hollow as a~5-to 10-cm-thick duricrust, formed by exchanges of atmospheric water vapor with soil. The estimated degradation in the hollow requires~2 to 3 m of sedimentary fill beneath the lander. Plain Language Summary The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigation, Geodesy andHeat Transport (InSight) mission to Mars landed in western Elysium Planitia. The landing site consists of a smooth, flat surface that is unique relative to the surrounding rockier plains. Observations from orbital satellite imagery indicate that InSight landed inside of an almost circular depression in the landscape. Here we evaluate the shape and form of this small circular depression and compare it against nearby degraded impact craters. We conclude that InSight landed inside a very old crater that has filled in with windblown sediment and slope debris from the crater wall. We also estimate that the crater has been sitting on the landscape, experiencing extremely slow degradation, for approximately 400 to 700 Myr. The crater origin for the depression has implications for our understanding of the materials that exist immediately beneath the lander and the results from the two geophysical instruments onboard InSight, the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) and Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP 3 ).

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“…8). As the average large-scale wind at the InSight landing site is expected to be from the North-West (Mars Climate Database version 5.2 Millour et al 2015;Spiga et al 2018;Golombek et al 2018), we assume a wind from the North-West as the most common wind direction for this study. As a consequence, when the wind comes from the North, SEIS is downwind of the lander.…”

Section: Wind Properties and Deployment Configurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flexible Mode Modelling of the InSight Lander and Consequences for the SEIS Instrument

Murdoch¹,

Alazard²,

Knapmeyer‐Endrun³

et al. 2018

Space Sci Rev

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We present an updated model for estimating the lander mechanical noise on the InSight seismometer SEIS, taking into account the flexible modes of the InSight lander. This new flexible mode model uses the Satellite Dynamics Toolbox to compute the direct and the inverse dynamic model of a satellite composed of a main body fitted with one or several dynamic appendages. Through a detailed study of the sensitivity of our results to key environment parameters we find that the frequencies of the six dominant lander resonant modes increase logarithmically with increasing ground stiffness. On the other hand, the wind strength and the incoming wind angle modify only the signal amplitude but not the frequencies of the resonances. For the baseline parameters chosen for this study, the lander mechanical noise on the SEIS instrument is not expected to exceed the instrument total noise requirements. However, in the case that the lander mechanical noise is observable in the seismic data acquired by SEIS, this may provide a complementary method for studying the ground and wind properties on Mars.

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Geology and Physical Properties Investigations by the InSight Lander

Cited by 87 publications

References 198 publications

Degradation of Homestead Hollow at the InSight Landing Site Based on the Distribution and Properties of Local Deposits

Degradation of Homestead Hollow at the InSight Landing Site Based on the Distribution and Properties of Local Deposits

An Impact Crater Origin for the InSight Landing Site at Homestead Hollow, Mars: Implications for Near Surface Stratigraphy, Surface Processes, and Erosion Rates

Flexible Mode Modelling of the InSight Lander and Consequences for the SEIS Instrument

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