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Jezero crater and the adjacent Nili Planum terrains have been intensely studied from orbit and Jezero will be the focus of future investigations by the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. Both areas host geologic materials with similar physical and mineralogic characteristics, yet the two sites have been hypothesized to represent different and generally unrelated surface and subsurface habitable settings. We will present our progress on a USGS SIM geologic map constructed at a 1:20,000 digital mapping scale using a ~6 m/pixel CTX base map. The map was submitted in April 2020 to the USGS Planetary Mapping Group for the Technical Review Process and is currently in revision. Our map units show an overall consistency with what has been mapped previously in this region, although we identified in several units textural variations and correlations that were previously undefined. In particular, we mapped various ridged, rugged, and smooth textures in the upper Etched unit (Nue) and Nili plains 1 unit (Nnp1). We also propose a correlation between the Jezero floor unit (Njf) and the Nili plains 2 unit (Nnp2), and favor a clastic deposit interpretation for the origin of these units. The presented map will enhance future scientific investigations of this region by enabling scientists to make connections between these two sites and understand the diversity and distribution of environments that may be explored and potentially sampled by the Mars 2020 mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landing site is located within Jezero crater, a ~50 km diameter impact crater interpreted to be a Noachian-aged lake basin inside the western edge of the Isidis impact structure. Jezero hosts remnants of a fluvial delta, inlet and outlet valleys, and infill deposits containing diverse carbonate, mafic, and hydrated minerals. Prior to the launch of the Mars 2020 mission, members of the Science Team collaborated to produce a photo-geologic map of the Perseverance landing site in Jezero crater. Mapping was performed at a 1:5000 digital map scale using a ~25 cm/pixel High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) orthoimage mosaic base map and a 1 m/pixel spatial resolution HiRISE stereo digital terrain model. Mapped bedrock and surficial units were distinguished by differences in relative brightness, tone, topography, surface texture, and apparent roughness. Bedrock units are generally consistent with those identified in previously published mapping efforts, but this study's map includes the distribution of surficial deposits and sub-units of the Jezero delta at a higher level of detail than previous studies. This study considers four possible unit correlations to explain the relative age relationships of major units within the map area. Unit correlations include previously published interpretations as well as those that consider more complex interfingering relationships and alternative relative age relationships. The photo-geologic map presented here is the foundation for scientific hypothesis development and strategic planning for Perseverance's exploration of Jezero crater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jezero crater and the adjacent Nili Planum terrains have been intensely studied from orbit and Jezero will be the focus of future investigations by the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. Both areas host geologic materials with similar physical and mineralogic characteristics, yet the two sites have been hypothesized to represent different and generally unrelated surface and subsurface habitable settings. We will present our progress on a USGS SIM geologic map constructed at a 1:20,000 digital mapping scale using a ~6 m/pixel CTX base map. The map was submitted in April 2020 to the USGS Planetary Mapping Group for the Technical Review Process and is currently in revision. Our map units show an overall consistency with what has been mapped previously in this region, although we identified in several units textural variations and correlations that were previously undefined. In particular, we mapped various ridged, rugged, and smooth textures in the upper Etched unit (Nue) and Nili plains 1 unit (Nnp1). We also propose a correlation between the Jezero floor unit (Njf) and the Nili plains 2 unit (Nnp2), and favor a clastic deposit interpretation for the origin of these units. The presented map will enhance future scientific investigations of this region by enabling scientists to make connections between these two sites and understand the diversity and distribution of environments that may be explored and potentially sampled by the Mars 2020 mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landing site is located within Jezero crater, a ~50 km diameter impact crater interpreted to be a Noachian-aged lake basin inside the western edge of the Isidis impact structure. Jezero hosts remnants of a fluvial delta, inlet and outlet valleys, and infill deposits containing diverse carbonate, mafic, and hydrated minerals. Prior to the launch of the Mars 2020 mission, members of the Science Team collaborated to produce a photo-geologic map of the Perseverance landing site in Jezero crater. Mapping was performed at a 1:5000 digital map scale using a ~25 cm/pixel High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) orthoimage mosaic base map and a 1 m/pixel spatial resolution HiRISE stereo digital terrain model. Mapped bedrock and surficial units were distinguished by differences in relative brightness, tone, topography, surface texture, and apparent roughness. Bedrock units are generally consistent with those identified in previously published mapping efforts, but this study’s map includes the distribution of surficial deposits and sub-units of the Jezero delta at a higher level of detail than previous studies. This study considers four possible unit correlations to explain the relative age relationships of major units within the map area. Unit correlations include previously published interpretations as well as those that consider more complex interfingering relationships and alternative relative age relationships. The photo-geologic map presented here is the foundation for scientific hypothesis development and strategic planning for Perseverance’s exploration of Jezero crater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]