Mechanical properties of simulated Mars materials: gypsum-rich sandstones and lapilli tuff
Open-File Report
2013-1242
By: Carolyn Morrow, David Lockner, and Chris Okubo
Links
- More information: USGS Index Page
- Document: Report
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Observations by the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Opportunity, and other recent studies on diagenesis in the extensive equatorial layered deposits on Mars, suggest that the likely lithologies of these deposits are gypsum-rich sandstones and tuffaceous sediments (for example, Murchie and others, 2009; Squyres and others, 2012; Zimbelman and Scheidt, 2012). Of particular interest is how the diagenesis history of these sediments (degree of cementation and composition) influences the strength and brittle behavior of the material. For instance, fractures are more common in lower porosity materials under strain, whereas deformation bands, characterized by distributed strain throughout a broader discontinuity in a material, are common in higher porosity sedimentary materials. Such discontinuities can either enhance or restrict fluid flow; hence, failure mode plays an important role in determining the mechanics of fluid migration through sediments (Antonellini and Aydin, 1994; 1995; Taylor and Pollard, 2000; Ogilvie and Glover, 2001). As part of a larger study to characterize processes of fault-controlled fluid flow in volcaniclastic and gypsum-rich sediments on Mars, we have completed a series of laboratory experiments to focus on how gypsum clast content and degree of authigenic cementation affects the strength behavior of simulated Mars rocks. Both axial deformation and hydrostatic pressure tests were done at room temperature under dry conditions.
Suggested Citation
Morrow, C., Lockner, D., and Okubo, C., 2013, Mechanical properties of simulated Mars materials: gypsum-rich sandstones and lapilli tuff: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013-1242, iii, 11 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20131242.
ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Mechanical properties of simulated Mars materials: gypsum-rich sandstones and lapilli tuff |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 2013-1242 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20131242 |
| Year Published | 2013 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | Earthquake Science Center |
| Description | iii, 11 p. |
| Other Geospatial | Mars |
| Online Only (Y/N) | Y |