A review of the phyllosilicates in Gale Crater as detected by the CheMin Instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Rover
Minerals
By: Valerie M. Tu, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Thomas F. Bristow, Michael T. Thorpe, Joanna V. Clark, Nicholas Castle, Abigail A. Fraeman, Lauren A. Edgar, Amy McAdam, Candice C. Bedford, Cherie N. Achilles, David Blake, Steve J. Chipera, Patricia I. Craig, David J. Des Marais, Gordie W. Downs, Robert T. Downs, Valerie K. Fox, John P. Grotzinger, Robert M. Hazen, Douglas W. Ming, Richard V. Morris, Shaunna M. Morrison, Betina Pavri, Tanya S. Peretyazhko, Philippe C. Sarazin, Brad Sutter, Allan H. Treiman, David T. Vaniman, Albert S. Yen, and Jon C. Bridges
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, landed on Mars in August 2012 to investigate the ~3.5-billion-year-old (Ga) fluvio-lacustrine sedimentary deposits of Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) and the surrounding plains (Aeolis Palus) in Gale crater. After nearly nine years, Curiosity has traversed over 25 km, and the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument on-board Curiosity has analyzed 30 drilled rock and three scooped soil samples to date. The principal strategic goal of the mission is to assess the habitability of Mars in its ancient past. Phyllosilicates are common in ancient Martian terrains dating to ~3.5–4 Ga and were detected from orbit in some of the lower strata of Mount Sharp. Phyllosilicates on Earth are important for harboring and preserving organics. On Mars, phyllosilicates are significant for exploration as they are hypothesized to be a marker for potential habitable environments. CheMin data demonstrate that ancient fluvio-lacustrine rocks in Gale crater contain up to ~35 wt. % phyllosilicates. Phyllosilicates are key indicators of past fluid–rock interactions, and variation in the structure and composition of phyllosilicates in Gale crater suggest changes in past aqueous environments that may have been habitable to microbial life with a variety of possible energy sources.
Suggested Citation
Tu, V.M., Rampe, E.B., Bristow, T.F., Thorpe, M.T., Clark, J.V., Castle, N., Fraeman, A.A., Edgar, L.A., McAdam, A., Bedford, C.C., Achilles, C.N., Blake, D., Chipera, S.J., Craig, P.I., Des Marais, D.J., Downs, G.W., Downs, R.T., Fox, V.K., Grotzinger, J.P., Hazen, R.M., Ming, D.W., Morris, R., Morrison, S.M., Pavri, B., Peretyazhko, T.S., Sarazin, P.C., Sutter, B., Treiman, A.H., Vaniman, D.T., Yen, A.S., and Bridges, J.C., 2021, A review of the phyllosilicates in Gale Crater as detected by the CheMin Instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Rover: Minerals, v. 11, no. 8, 847, 36 p., https://doi.org/10.3390/min11080847.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | A review of the phyllosilicates in Gale Crater as detected by the CheMin Instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Rover |
| Series title | Minerals |
| DOI | 10.3390/min11080847 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Publication Date | August 06, 2021 |
| Year Published | 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Contributing office(s) | Astrogeology Science Center |
| Description | 847, 36 p. |