The opportunity Rover's Athena science investigation at Meridiani Planum, Mars

S. W. Squyres; R. E. Arvidson; J.F. Bell III; J. Bruckner; N.A. Cabrol; W. Calvin; M. H. Carr; P. R. Christensen; B. C. Clark; L. Crumpler; D.J. Des Marais; C. D'Uston; T. Economou; J. Farmer; W. Farrand; W. Folkner; M. Golombek; S. Gorevan; J. A. Grant; R. Greeley; J. Grotzinger; L. Haskin; Kenneth E. Herkenhoff; S. Hviid; J. Johnson; G. Klingelhofer; A.H. Knoll; G. Landis; M. Lemmon; R. Li; M.B. Madsen; M. C. Malin; S. M. McLennan; H.Y. McSween; D. W. Ming; J. Moersch; R.V. Morris; T. Parker; J. W. Rice Jr.; L. Richter; R. Rieder; M. Sims; M. Smith; P. Smith; Laurence A. Soderblom; R. Sullivan; H. Wanke; T. Wdowiak; M. Wolff; A. Yen

doi:10.1126/science.1106171

The opportunity Rover's Athena science investigation at Meridiani Planum, Mars

Science

By: S. W. Squyres, R. E. Arvidson, J.F. Bell III, J. Bruckner, N.A. Cabrol, W. Calvin, M. H. Carr, P. R. Christensen, B. C. Clark, L. Crumpler, D.J. Des Marais, C. D'Uston, T. Economou, J. Farmer, W. Farrand, W. Folkner, M. Golombek, S. Gorevan, J. A. Grant, R. Greeley, J. Grotzinger, L. Haskin, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, S. Hviid, J. Johnson, G. Klingelhofer, A.H. Knoll, G. Landis, M. Lemmon, R. Li, M.B. Madsen, M. C. Malin, S. M. McLennan, H.Y. McSween, D. W. Ming, J. Moersch, R.V. Morris, T. Parker, J. W. Rice Jr., L. Richter, R. Rieder, M. Sims, M. Smith, P. Smith, Laurence A. Soderblom, R. Sullivan, H. Wanke, T. Wdowiak, M. Wolff, and A. Yen

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1106171

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Abstract

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has investigated the landing site in Eagle crater and the nearby plains within Meridiani Planum. The soils consist of fine-grained basaltic sand and a surface lag of hematite-rich spherules, spherule fragments, and other granules. Wind ripples are common. Underlying the thin soil layer, and exposed within small impact craters and troughs, are flat-lying sedimentary rocks. These rocks are finely laminated, are rich in sulfur, and contain abundant sulfate salts. Small-scale cross-lamination in some locations provides evidence for deposition in flowing liquid water. We interpret the rocks to be a mixture of chemical and siliciclastic sediments formed by episodic inundation by shallow surface water, followed by evaporation, exposure, and desiccation. Hematite-rich spherules are embedded in the rock and eroding from them. We interpret these spherules to be concretions formed by postdepositional diagenesis, again involving liquid water.

Suggested Citation

Squyres, S.W., Arvidson, R., Bell, J., Bruckner, J., Cabrol, N., Calvin, W., Carr, M.H., Christensen, P.R., Clark, B., Crumpler, L., Des Marais, D., D'Uston, C., Economou, T., Farmer, J., Farrand, W., Folkner, W., Golombek, M., Gorevan, S., Grant, J.A., Greeley, R., Grotzinger, J., Haskin, L., Herkenhoff, K.E., Hviid, S., Johnson, J., Klingelhofer, G., Knoll, A., Landis, G., Lemmon, M., Li, R., Madsen, M., Malin, M.C., McLennan, S.M., McSween, H., Ming, D.W., Moersch, J., Morris, R., Parker, T., Rice, J.W., Richter, L., Rieder, R., Sims, M., Smith, M., Smith, P., Soderblom, L.A., Sullivan, R., Wanke, H., Wdowiak, T., Wolff, M., Yen, A., 2004, The opportunity Rover's Athena science investigation at Meridiani Planum, Mars: Science, v. 306, no. 5702, p. 1698-1703, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1106171.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	The opportunity Rover's Athena science investigation at Meridiani Planum, Mars
Series title	Science
DOI	10.1126/science.1106171
Volume	306
Issue	5702
Year Published	2004
Language	English
Publisher	American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Contributing office(s)	Astrogeology Science Center
Description	6 p.
Larger Work Type	Article
Larger Work Subtype	Journal Article
Larger Work Title	Science
First page	1698
Last page	1703
Other Geospatial	Mars; Meridiani Planum