Petrography, mineralogy, and chemistry of calcite-silica deposits at Exile Hill, Nevada, compared with local spring deposits

Vaniman, D. T.; Bish, David L.

doi:10.2172/249259

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…All Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity data products and data sets, including CheMin data, Mars images, and APXS data are archived at the NASA Planetary Data Systems and are available at https://pds-geosciences.wustl. edu/missions/msl/ (Gellert, 2013;Vaniman, 2013). APXS data used in this study specifically can be accessed through O 'Connell-Cooper et al (2022).…”

Section: Data Availability Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mars Science Laboratory CheMin Data From the Glen Torridon Region and the Significance of Lake‐Groundwater Interactions in Interpreting Mineralogy and Sedimentary History

et al. 2022

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The Glen Torridon (GT) region in Gale crater, Mars is a region with strong clay mineral signatures inferred from orbital spectroscopy. The CheMin X-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, measured some of the highest clay mineral abundances to date within GT, complementing the orbital detections. GT may also be unique because in the XRD patterns of some samples, CheMin identified new phases, including: (a) Fe-carbonates, and (b) a phase with a novel peak at 9.2 Å. Fe-carbonates have been previously suggested from other instruments onboard, but this is the first definitive reporting by CheMin of Fe-carbonate. This new phase with a 9.2 Å reflection has never been observed in Gale crater and may be a new mineral for Mars, but discrete identification still remains enigmatic because no single phase on Earth is able to account for all of the GT mineralogical, geochemical, and sedimentological constraints. Here, we modeled XRD profiles and propose an interstratified clay mineral, specifically greenalite-minnesotaite, as a reasonable candidate. The coexistence of Fe-carbonate and Fe-rich clay minerals in the GT samples supports a conceptual model of a lacustrine groundwater mixing environment. Groundwater interaction with percolating lake waters in the sediments is common in terrestrial lacustrine settings, and the diffusion of two distinct water bodies within the subsurface can create a geochemical gradient and unique mineral front in the sediments. Ultimately, the proximity to this mixing zone may have controlled the secondary minerals preserved in sedimentary rocks exposed in GT. Plain Language SummaryThe Glen Torridon (GT) region on the lower slopes of the sedimentary mound in Gale Crater, Mars is characterized by terrains with enhanced clay mineral spectral signatures, as identified from orbit. This regional distinction in the landscape was confirmed on the ground with some of the highest clay mineral abundances measured to date by the CheMin X-ray diffraction instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity. In addition to clay minerals, this region is unique because of two new phase identifications for CheMin: (a) Fe-carbonates, which have been previously suggested from other instruments onboard Curiosity, but definitively identified for the first time with CheMin and (b) a new phase that has never been detected before on Mars. Even on Earth, few examples of this enigmatic phase exist, but here we modeled a mixture of clay minerals that were able to replicate the novel CheMin observations. Conceptually, a lake environment that interacts with discharging groundwater in the subsurface is an ideal setting to form the observed mineralogical trends in the GT region. Ancient lake and ground waters would have THORPE ET AL.

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Section: Data Availability Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mars Science Laboratory CheMin Data From the Glen Torridon Region and the Significance of Lake‐Groundwater Interactions in Interpreting Mineralogy and Sedimentary History

et al. 2022

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“…Wiens et al 2004;Sharma et al 2007;. To test ChemCam's depth profiling capability (#3 in Table 7), a sawed slab of Grapevine Spring black calcite vein (Vaniman et al 1995) and of basalt were each subjected to a series of 500 and 1000 laser pulses in separate locations. The calcite was interrogated at 3 m, while the basalt was targeted at both 3 and 7 m. The samples were surrounded by 7 Torr of air to simulate the Mars atmospheric pressure.…”

Section: Depth Profiles In Rockmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ChemCam Instrument Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests

et al. 2012

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International audienceThe ChemCam instrument suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity provides remote compositional information using the first laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (LIBS) on a planetary mission, and provides sample texture and morphology data using a remote micro-imager (RMI). Overall, ChemCam supports MSL with five capabilities: remote classification of rock and soil characteristics; quantitative elemental compositions including light elements like hydrogen and some elements to which LIBS is uniquely sensitive (e.g., Li, Be, Rb, Sr, Ba); remote removal of surface dust and depth profiling through surface coatings; context imaging; and passive spectroscopy over the 240-905 nm range. ChemCam is built in two sections: The mast unit, consisting of a laser, telescope, RMI, and associated electronics, resides on the rover's mast, and is described in a companion paper. ChemCam's body unit, which is mounted in the body of the rover, comprises an optical demultiplexer, three spectrometers, detectors, their coolers, and associated electronics and data handling logic. Additional instrument components include a 6 m optical fiber which transfers the LIBS light from the telescope to the body unit, and a set of onboard calibration targets. ChemCam was integrated and tested at Los Alamos National Laboratory where it also underwent LIBS calibration with 69 geological standards prior to integration with the rover. Post-integration testing used coordinated mast and instrument commands, including LIBS line scans on rock targets during system-level thermal-vacuum tests. In this paper we describe the body unit, optical fiber, and calibration targets, and the assembly, testing, and verification of the instrument prior to launch

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Lanthanide Elements in Alteration Minerals as a Guide to Transport Phenomena in the Vadose Zones of Continental Tuffs

Vaniman

Bish

Rare Earth Elements in Groundwater Flow Systems

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Petrography, mineralogy, and chemistry of calcite-silica deposits at Exile Hill, Nevada, compared with local spring deposits

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

Mars Science Laboratory CheMin Data From the Glen Torridon Region and the Significance of Lake‐Groundwater Interactions in Interpreting Mineralogy and Sedimentary History

Mars Science Laboratory CheMin Data From the Glen Torridon Region and the Significance of Lake‐Groundwater Interactions in Interpreting Mineralogy and Sedimentary History

The ChemCam Instrument Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests

Lanthanide Elements in Alteration Minerals as a Guide to Transport Phenomena in the Vadose Zones of Continental Tuffs

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