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Bishop JL, Gross C, Danielsen J, Parente M, Murchie SL, Horgan B, Wray JJ, Viviano C, Seelos FP. Multiple mineral horizons in layered outcrops at Mawrth Vallis, Mars, signify changing geochemical environments on early Mars. ICARUS 2020; 341:113634. [PMID: 34045770 PMCID: PMC8152300 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Refined calibrations of CRISM images are enabling identification of smaller deposits of unique aqueous materials on Mars that reveal changing environmental conditions at the region surrounding Mawrth Vallis. Through characterization of these clay-sulfate assemblages and their association with the layered, phyllosilicate units of this region, more details of the aqueous geochemical history can be gleaned. A stratigraphy including five distinct mineral horizons is mapped using compositional data from CRISM over CTX and HRSC imagery across 100s of km and from CRISM over HiRISE imagery across 100s of meters. Transitions in mineralogic units were characterized using visible/near-infrared (VNIR) spectral properties and surface morphology. We identified and characterized complex "doublet" type spectral signatures with two bands between 2.2 and 2.3 μm at one stratigraphic horizon. Based on comparisons with terrestrial sites, the spectral "doublet" unit described here may reflect the remnants of a salty, evaporative period that existed on Mars during the transition from formation of Fe-rich phyllosilicates to Al-rich phyllosilicates. Layered outcrops observed at Mawrth Vallis are thicker than in other altered regions of Mars, but may represent processes that were more widespread in wet regions of the planet during its early history. The aqueous geochemical environments supporting the outcrops observed here include: (i) the formation of Fe3+-rich smectites in a warm and wet environment, (ii) overlain by a thin ferrous-bearing clay unit that could be associated with heating or reducing conditions, (iii) followed by a transition to salty and/or acidic alteration phases and sulfates (characterized by the spectral "doublet" shape) in an evaporative setting, (iv) formation of Al-rich phyllosilicates through pedogenesis or acid leaching, and (v) finally persistence of poorly crystalline aluminosilicates marking the end of the warm climate on early Mars. The "doublet" type units described here are likely composed of clay-sulfate assemblages formed in saline, acidic evaporative environments similar to those found in Western Australia and the Atacama desert. Despite the chemically extreme and variable waters present at these terrestrial, saline lake environments, active ecosystems are present; thus, these "doublet" type units may mark exciting areas for continued exploration important to astrobiology on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice L. Bishop
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, United States of America
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Jacob Danielsen
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, United States of America
- San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, United States of America
| | - Mario Parente
- University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States of America
| | - Scott L. Murchie
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, MD, United States of America
| | - Briony Horgan
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - James J. Wray
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Christina Viviano
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, MD, United States of America
| | - Frank P. Seelos
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, MD, United States of America
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Szopa C, Freissinet C, Glavin DP, Millan M, Buch A, Franz HB, Summons RE, Sumner DY, Sutter B, Eigenbrode JL, Williams RH, Navarro-González R, Guzman M, Malespin C, Teinturier S, Mahaffy PR, Cabane M. First Detections of Dichlorobenzene Isomers and Trichloromethylpropane from Organic Matter Indigenous to Mars Mudstone in Gale Crater, Mars: Results from the Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Onboard the Curiosity Rover. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:292-306. [PMID: 31880468 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Chromatographic analysis of the Cumberland mudstone in Gale crater by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument revealed the detection of two to three isomers of dichlorobenzene. Their individual concentrations were estimated to be in the 0.5-17 ppbw range relative to the sample mass. We also report the first detection of trichloromethylpropane and the confirmation of the detection of chlorobenzene previously reported. Supporting laboratory experiments excluded the SAM internal background as the source of those compounds, thus confirming the organic carbon and chlorine of the newly detected chlorohydrocarbons are indigenous to the mudstone sample. Laboratory experiments also demonstrated that the chlorohydrocarbons were mainly produced from chemical reactions occurring in the SAM ovens between organic molecules and oxychlorines contained in the sample. The results we obtained show that meteoritic organics and tested chemical species (a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, an amino acid, and a carboxylic acid) were plausible organic precursors of the chlorinated aromatic molecules detected with SAM, thus suggesting that they could be among the organic molecules present in the mudstone. Results from this study coupled with previously reported detections of chlorinated aromatics (<300 ppbw) indigenous to the same mudstone highlight that organics can be preserved from the harsh surface conditions even at shallow depth. The detection of new chlorohydrocarbons with SAM confirms that organic molecules should have been available in an environment favorable to life forms, strengthening the habitability aspect of Gale crater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Szopa
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Freissinet
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Daniel P Glavin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
| | - Maeva Millan
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Arnaud Buch
- Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux (LGPM), EA 4038, Centrale-Supelec, Rue Joliot Curie, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Heather B Franz
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
| | - Roger E Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Dawn Y Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Brad Sutter
- Jacobs Technology, Inc., Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Houston, Texas
| | - Jennifer L Eigenbrode
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
| | - Ross H Williams
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
- Department of Astronomy and CRESST II, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Rafael Navarro-González
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, Distrito Federal, México
| | - Melissa Guzman
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Charles Malespin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
| | - Samuel Teinturier
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
- Universities Space Research Association, Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research Studies and Investigations, Greenbelt, Maryland
| | - Paul R Mahaffy
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
| | - Michel Cabane
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
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Poulet F, Gross C, Horgan B, Loizeau D, Bishop JL, Carter J, Orgel C. Mawrth Vallis, Mars: A Fascinating Place for Future In Situ Exploration. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:199-234. [PMID: 31916851 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
After the successful landing of the Mars Science Laboratory rover, both NASA and ESA initiated a selection process for potential landing sites for the Mars2020 and ExoMars missions, respectively. Two ellipses located in the Mawrth Vallis region were proposed and evaluated during a series of meetings (three for Mars2020 mission and five for ExoMars). We describe here the regional context of the two proposed ellipses as well as the framework of the objectives of these two missions. Key science targets of the ellipses and their astrobiological interests are reported. This work confirms that the proposed ellipses contain multiple past martian wet environments of a subaerial, subsurface, and/or subaqueous character, in which to probe the past climate of Mars; build a broad picture of possible past habitable environments; evaluate their exobiological potentials; and search for biosignatures in well-preserved rocks. A mission scenario covering several key investigations during the nominal mission of each rover is also presented, as well as descriptions of how the site fulfills the science requirements and expectations of in situ martian exploration. These serve as a basis for potential future exploration of the Mawrth Vallis region with new missions and describe opportunities for human exploration of Mars in terms of resources and science discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Christoph Gross
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Damien Loizeau
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | | | - John Carter
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Csilla Orgel
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Lowe DR, Bishop JL, Loizeau D, Wray JJ, Beyer RA. Deposition of >3.7 Ga clay-rich strata of the Mawrth Vallis Group, Mars, in lacustrine, alluvial, and aeolian environments. GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN 2019; 132:17-30. [PMID: 33958812 PMCID: PMC8098079 DOI: 10.1130/b35185.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The presence of abundant phyllosilicate minerals in Noachian (>3.7 Ga) rocks on Mars has been taken as evidence that liquid water was stable at or near the surface early in martian history. This study investigates some of these clay-rich strata exposed in crater rim and inverted terrain settings in the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars. In Muara crater the 200-m-thick, clay-rich Mawrth Vallis Group (MVG) is subdivided into five informal units numbered 1 (base) to 5 (top). Unit 1 consists of interbedded sedimentary and volcanic or volcaniclastic units showing weak Fe/Mg-smectite alteration deposited in a range of subaerial depositional settings. Above a major unconformity eroded on Unit 1, the dark-toned sediments of Unit 2 and lower Unit 3 are inferred to represent mainly wind-blown sand. These are widely interlayered with and draped by thin layers of light-toned sediment representing fine suspended-load aeolian silt and clay. These sediments show extensive Fe/Mg-smectite alteration, probably reflecting subaerial weathering. Upper Unit 3 and units 4 and 5 are composed of well-layered, fine-grained sediment dominated by Al-phyllosilicates, kaolinite, and hydrated silica. Deposition occurred in a large lake or arm of a martian sea. In the inverted terrain 100 km to the NE, Unit 4 shows very young slope failures suggesting that the clay-rich sediments today retain a significant component of water ice. The MVG provides evidence for the presence of large, persistent standing bodies of water on early Mars as well as a complex association of flanking shoreline, alluvial, and aeolian systems. Some of the clays, especially the Fe/Mg smectites in upper units 1 and 2 appear to have formed through subaerial weathering whereas the aluminosilicates, kaolinite, and hydrated silica of units 3, 4, and 5 formed mainly through alteration of fine sediment in subaqueous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald R. Lowe
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA
| | - Janice L. Bishop
- SETI & NASA-Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - Damien Loizeau
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ens de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5276 LGL-TPE, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris Sud, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - James J. Wray
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0340, USA
| | - Ross A. Beyer
- SETI & NASA-Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, USA
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Bhardwaj A, Sam L, Martín-Torres FJ, Zorzano MP. Discovery of recurring slope lineae candidates in Mawrth Vallis, Mars. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2040. [PMID: 30765841 PMCID: PMC6376049 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39599-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Several interpretations of recurring slope lineae (RSL) have related RSL to the potential presence of transient liquid water on Mars. Such probable signs of liquid water have implications for Mars exploration in terms of rover safety, planetary protection during rover operations, and the current habitability of the planet. Mawrth Vallis has always been a prime target to be considered for Mars rover missions due to its rich mineralogy. Most recently, Mawrth Vallis was one of the two final candidates selected by the European Space Agency as a landing site for the ExoMars 2020 mission. Therefore, all surface features and landforms in Mawrth Vallis that may be of special interest in terms of scientific goals, rover safety, and operations must be scrutinised to better assess it for future Mars missions. Here, we report on the initial detection of RSL candidates in two craters of Mawrth Vallis. The new sightings were made outside of established RSL regions and further prompt the inclusion of a new geographical region within the RSL candidate group. Our inferences on the RSL candidates are based on several morphological and geophysical evidences and analogies: (i) the dimensions of the RSL candidates are consistent with confirmed mid-latitude RSL; (ii) albedo and thermal inertia values are comparable to those of other mid-latitude RSL sites; and (iii) features are found in a summer season image and on the steep and warmest slopes. These results denote the plausible presence of transient liquid brines close to the previously proposed landing ellipse of the ExoMars rover, rendering this site particularly relevant to the search of life. Further investigations of Mawrth Vallis carried out at higher spatial and temporal resolutions are needed to identify more of such features at local scales to maximize the scientific return from the future Mars rovers, to prevent probable biological contamination during rover operations, to evade damage to rover components as brines can be highly corrosive, and to quantify the ability of the regolith at mid-latitudes to capture atmospheric water which is relevant for in-situ-resource utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshuman Bhardwaj
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden.
| | - Lydia Sam
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- Institut für Kartographie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - F Javier Martín-Torres
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Armilla, Granada, Spain
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
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Abstract
Spectral remote sensing in the visible/near-infrared (VNIR) and mid-IR (MIR) regions has enabled detection and characterisation of multiple clays and clay minerals on Earth and in the Solar System. Remote sensing on Earth poses the greatest challenge due to atmospheric absorptions that interfere with detection of surface minerals. Still, a greater variety of clay minerals have been observed on Earth than other bodies due to extensive aqueous alteration on our planet. Clay minerals have arguably been mapped in more detail on the planet Mars because they are not masked by vegetation on that planet and the atmosphere is less of a hindrance. Fe/Mg-smectite is the most abundant clay mineral on the surface of Mars and is also common in meteorites and comets where clay minerals are detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice L Bishop
- SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | | | - John Carter
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Paris-Sud University, Orsay, France
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Abstract
The scientific objectives of the ExoMars rover are designed to answer several key questions in the search for life on Mars. In particular, the unique subsurface drill will address some of these, such as the possible existence and stability of subsurface organics. PanCam will establish the surface geological and morphological context for the mission, working in collaboration with other context instruments. Here, we describe the PanCam scientific objectives in geology, atmospheric science, and 3-D vision. We discuss the design of PanCam, which includes a stereo pair of Wide Angle Cameras (WACs), each of which has an 11-position filter wheel and a High Resolution Camera (HRC) for high-resolution investigations of rock texture at a distance. The cameras and electronics are housed in an optical bench that provides the mechanical interface to the rover mast and a planetary protection barrier. The electronic interface is via the PanCam Interface Unit (PIU), and power conditioning is via a DC-DC converter. PanCam also includes a calibration target mounted on the rover deck for radiometric calibration, fiducial markers for geometric calibration, and a rover inspection mirror. Key Words: Mars—ExoMars—Instrumentation—Geology—Atmosphere—Exobiology—Context. Astrobiology 17, 511–541.
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Ross J, Ellery A. Panoramic camera tracking on planetary rovers using feedforward control. INT J ADV ROBOT SYST 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/1729881417705921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Ross
- Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Alex Ellery
- Faculty of Engineering and Design, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Ehlmann BL, Bish DL, Ruff SW, Mustard JF. Mineralogy and chemistry of altered Icelandic basalts: Application to clay mineral detection and understanding aqueous environments on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2012je004156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Planning for Mars returned sample science: final report of the MSR End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (E2E-iSAG). ASTROBIOLOGY 2012; 12:175-230. [PMID: 22468886 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
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Abstract
Clay minerals, recently discovered to be widespread in Mars's Noachian terrains, indicate long-duration interaction between water and rock over 3.7 billion years ago. Analysis of how they formed should indicate what environmental conditions prevailed on early Mars. If clays formed near the surface by weathering, as is common on Earth, their presence would indicate past surface conditions warmer and wetter than at present. However, available data instead indicate substantial Martian clay formation by hydrothermal groundwater circulation and a Noachian rock record dominated by evidence of subsurface waters. Cold, arid conditions with only transient surface water may have characterized Mars's surface for over 4 billion years, since the early-Noachian period, and the longest-duration aqueous, potentially habitable environments may have been in the subsurface.
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