Mineralogy and geochemistry of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediments in Gale crater, Mars: A review after six Earth years of exploration with Curiosity

Rampe, Elizabeth B.; Blake, D. F.; Bristow, T. F.; Ming, D. W.; Vaniman, D. T.; Morris, R. V.; Achilles, C. N.; Chipera, S. J.; Morrison, S. M.; Tu, V.; Yen, A. S.; Castle, N.; Downs, G. W.; Downs, Robert T.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Hazen, Robert M.; Treiman, Allan H.; Peretyazhko, T. S.; Marais, David J. Des; Walroth, R. C.; Craig, P. I.; Crisp, J. A.; Lafuente, B.; Morookian, John Michael; Sarrazin, P.; Thorpe, M. T.; Bridges, J. C.; Edgar, L. A.; Fedo, C. M.; Freissinet, Caroline; Gellert, R.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Newsom, H. E.; Johnson, J. R.; Kah, L. C.; Siebach, K. L.; Schieber, Jüergen; Sun, V. Z.; Vasavada, A. R.; Wellington, Danika; Wiens, R. C.

doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2020.125605

Cited by 177 publications

(289 citation statements)

References 172 publications

(295 reference statements)

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“…The chemistry of the Murray formation below VRR is relatively uniform over a significant elevation range, in contrast to lithologies encountered within the Bradbury group (Figure 4 and Table S3) (McLennan et al, 2013;Schmidt et al, 2014;Thompson et al, 2016). This and the similar basaltic, igneous mineralogy (Achilles et al, 2020;Bristow et al, 2018;Rampe, Blake, et al, 2020) of the Murray formation below VRR (excluding the Pahrump Hills targets) indicate a similar provenance for most of the Murray sediment.…”

Section: Journal Of Geophysical Research: Planetsmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…The Highfield amorphous material has 61.7 wt% SiO 2 and 7.9 wt% Al 2 O 3 versus 34.3 wt% SiO 2 and 0 wt% Al 2 O 3 for Duluth and 55.0 wt% SiO 2 and 5.1 wt% Al 2 O 3 for the Stoer amorphous components. Additionally, Highfield contains a higher abundance of amorphous material (49 wt%) than Duluth (37 wt%) and Stoer (38 wt%) (Rampe, Blake, et al, 2020). The excess Si/Al ratio for Highfield relative to Stoer, both with similar plagioclase contents, is approximately the same as the Si/Al ratio in the amorphous component for Highfield.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lower plagioclase abundances are detected by CheMin from the Karasburg and Sutton Island drilled fines than for the rest of the Murray formation (Achilles et al, 2020; Bristow et al, 2018; Rampe, Blake, et al, 2020). However, neither member shows consistently lower Si or Al concentrations (Figure 7).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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APXS‐Derived Compositional Characteristics of Vera Rubin Ridge and Murray Formation, Gale Crater, Mars: Geochemical Implications for the Origin of the Ridge

et al. 2020

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The resistant~50 m thick Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) situated near the base of Mount Sharp, Gale crater, Mars, has been deemed a high priority science target for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. This is because of (1) its position at the base of the 5 km layered strata of Mount Sharp and (2) the detection of hematite from orbit, indicating that it could be the site of enhanced oxidation. The compositional data acquired by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) during Curiosity's exploration of VRR help to elucidate questions pertaining to the formation of the ridge. APXS analyses indicate that VRR falls within the compositional range of underlying lacustrine mudstones, consistent with a continuation of that depositional environment and derivation from a similar provenance. Lower Fe concentrations for VRR compared to the underlying strata discounts the addition of large amounts of hematite to the strata, either as cement or as detrital input. Compositional trends are associated with VRR cross-cut stratigraphy, indicating postdepositional processes. Higher Si and Al and lower Ti, Fe, and Mn than the underlying mudstone, particularly within distinct patches of gray/blue bedrock, are consistent with the addition of Si and Al. Lateral and vertical compositional variations suggest enhanced element mobility and fluid flow (possibly via multiple events) through VRR, increasing toward the top of the ridge, consistent with the action of warm (~50-100°C), locally acidic saline fluids as inferred from the mineralogy of drilled samples. Plain Language Summary Curiosity has explored the resistant Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) at the base of Mount Sharp, Gale crater, Mars, owing to (1) its position within the 5 km layered rocks of Mount Sharp, which record changes in Mars environment through time, and (2) the detection of hematite from orbit. The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) measures the elemental composition of rocks. APXS analyses indicate that VRR has a similar composition to underlying mudstones, consistent with continued deposition in a lake. Lower iron discounts the addition of large amounts of hematite, holding together mineral grains either as cement or as detrital grains. Other elemental trends cut across layering, indicating postdepositional processes. Lateral and vertical compositional variations suggest enhanced element mobility and fluid flow (possibly via multiple events) through VRR, particularly at the top of the ridge and within gray/blue patches of bedrock, consistent with the action of warm (~50-100°C), acidic saline fluids inferred from the mineralogy of drilled samples.

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Section: Journal Of Geophysical Research: Planetsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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APXS‐Derived Compositional Characteristics of Vera Rubin Ridge and Murray Formation, Gale Crater, Mars: Geochemical Implications for the Origin of the Ridge

et al. 2020

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“…Mars, unlike Earth, never had robust plate tectonics 109 and, as a result, 3-4 Gyr old sedimentary rocks on the Martian surface have, for the most part, been minimally altered since their deposition. Even the ancient smectite-bearing mudstone in Gale crater lacks substantial mineralogical evidence for widespread burial diagenesis (i.e., there is no evidence for illitization) 110 despite a potential burial depth of up to 5 km 111 . Therefore, ancient smectite-bearing martian surfaces are ideal locations to investigate habitability in our early Solar System.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhabited subsurface wet smectites in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert as an analog for the search for life on Mars

Azua‐Bustos

Fairén

González-Silva

et al. 2020

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The modern Martian surface is unlikely to be habitable due to its extreme aridity among other environmental factors. This is the reason why the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert has been studied as an analog for the habitability of Mars for more than 50 years. Here we report a layer enriched in smectites located just 30 cm below the surface of the hyperarid core of the Atacama. We discovered the clay-rich layer to be wet (a phenomenon never observed before in this region), keeping a high and constant relative humidity of 78% (aw 0.780), and completely isolated from the changing and extremely dry subaerial conditions characteristic of the Atacama. The smectite-rich layer is inhabited by at least 30 halophilic species of metabolically active bacteria and archaea, unveiling a previously unreported habitat for microbial life under the surface of the driest place on Earth. The discovery of a diverse microbial community in smectite-rich subsurface layers in the hyperarid core of the Atacama, and the collection of biosignatures we have identified within the clays, suggest that similar shallow clay deposits on Mars may contain biosignatures easily reachable by current rovers and landers.

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“…Gale Crater appears to be a series of ancient lakes that have periodically filled with water (Martínez et al 2017a;Rampe et al 2020), in a cycle that may have lasted billions of years into the near present (Frydenvang et al 2017;Yen et al 2017;Hausrath et al 2018;Jaumann et al 2014). As summed up by Rampe et al (2020): "Evidence for a longlived lake or lake system in Gale crater is compelling...." possibly "up to the present day. "…”

Section: Algae / Cyanobacteria and Water On Marsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mars: Life, Subglacial Oceans, Abiogenic Photosynthesis, Seasonal Increases and Replenishment of Atmospheric Oxygen

et al. 2020

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The discovery and subsequent investigations of atmospheric oxygen on Mars are reviewed. Free oxygen is a biomarker produced by photosynthesizing organisms. Oxygen is reactive and on Mars may be destroyed in 10 years and is continually replenished. Diurnal and spring/summer increases in oxygen have been documented, and these variations parallel biologically induced fluctuations on Earth. Data from the Viking biological experiments also support active biology, though these results have been disputed. Although there is no conclusive proof of current or past life on Mars, organic matter has been detected and specimens resembling green algae / cyanobacteria, lichens, stromatolites, and open apertures and fenestrae for the venting of oxygen produced via photosynthesis have been observed. These life-like specimens include thousands of lichen-mushroom-shaped structures with thin stems, attached to rocks, topped by bulbous caps, and oriented skyward similar to photosynthesizing organisms. If these specimens are living, fossilized or abiogenic is unknown. If biological, they may be producing and replenishing atmospheric oxygen. Abiogenic processes might also contribute to oxygenation via sublimation and seasonal melting of subglacial water-ice deposits coupled with UV splitting of water molecules; a process of abiogenic photosynthesis that could have significantly depleted oceans of water and subsurface ice over the last 4.5 billion years.

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Mineralogy and geochemistry of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediments in Gale crater, Mars: A review after six Earth years of exploration with Curiosity

Cited by 177 publications

References 172 publications

APXS‐Derived Compositional Characteristics of Vera Rubin Ridge and Murray Formation, Gale Crater, Mars: Geochemical Implications for the Origin of the Ridge

APXS‐Derived Compositional Characteristics of Vera Rubin Ridge and Murray Formation, Gale Crater, Mars: Geochemical Implications for the Origin of the Ridge

Inhabited subsurface wet smectites in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert as an analog for the search for life on Mars

Mars: Life, Subglacial Oceans, Abiogenic Photosynthesis, Seasonal Increases and Replenishment of Atmospheric Oxygen

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