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Diagenesis of Vera Rubin ridge, Gale crater, Mars from Mastcam multispectral images
- Source :
- Horgan, B H N, Johnson, J R, Fraeman, A A, Rice, M S, Seeger, C, Bell, J F, Bennett, K A, Cloutis, E A, Edgar, L A, Frydenvang, J, Grotzinger, J P, L'Haridon, J, Jacob, S R, Mangold, N, Rampe, E B, Rivera-Hernandez, F, Sun, V Z, Thompson, L M & Wellington, D 2020, ' Diagenesis of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars, From Mastcam Multispectral Images ', Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, vol. 125, no. 11, e2019JE006322 . https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE006322, Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets, Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets, Wiley-Blackwell, 2020, 125, ⟨10.1029/2019je006322⟩
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Images from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission of lacustrine sedimentary rocks of Vera Rubin ridge on “Mt. Sharp” in Gale crater, Mars, have shown stark color variations from red to purple to gray. These color differences crosscut stratigraphy and are likely due to diagenetic alteration of the sediments after deposition. However, the chemistry and timing of these fluid interactions is unclear. Determining how diagenetic processes may have modified chemical and mineralogical signatures of ancient Martian environments is critical for understanding the past habitability of Mars and achieving the goals of the MSL mission. Here we use visible/near‐infrared spectra from Mastcam and ChemCam to determine the mineralogical origins of color variations in the ridge. Color variations are consistent with changes in spectral properties related to the crystallinity, grain size, and texture of hematite. Coarse‐grained gray hematite spectrally dominates in the gray patches and is present in the purple areas, while nanophase and fine‐grained red crystalline hematite are present and spectrally dominate in the red and purple areas. We hypothesize that these differences were caused by grain‐size coarsening of hematite by diagenetic fluids, as observed in terrestrial analogs. In this model, early primary reddening by oxidizing fluids near the surface was followed during or after burial by bleaching to form the gray patches, possibly with limited secondary reddening after exhumation. Diagenetic alteration may have diminished the preservation of biosignatures and changed the composition of the sediments, making it more difficult to interpret how conditions evolved in the paleolake over time.<br />Key Points Vera Rubin ridge exhibits strong color differences that crosscut stratigraphy, consistent with postdepositional alteration (diagenesis)Color differences correspond to variations in spectral signatures of nanophase, fine‐grained, and coarse‐grained hematiteBased on terrestrial analogs, these variations can be explained by early oxidation and later coarsening of hematite by diagenetic fluids
- Subjects :
- spectroscopy
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Multispectral image
Geochemistry
[SDU.ASTR.EP]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Earth and Planetary Astrophysics [astro-ph.EP]
Mars
01 natural sciences
Remote Sensing
Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects
Geochemistry and Petrology
0103 physical sciences
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets
Research Articles
Mineralogy and Petrology
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Martian
Spectral properties
Gale crater
Mars Exploration Program
Hematite
15. Life on land
Mineral Physics
Optical, infrared, and Raman spectroscopy
Diagenesis
Planetary Mineralogy and Petrology
Geophysics
Space and Planetary Science
visual_art
visual_art.visual_art_medium
Investigations of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater
Sedimentary rock
mineralogy
Alteration and Weathering Processes
diagenesis
Composition
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 21699097 and 21699100
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Horgan, B H N, Johnson, J R, Fraeman, A A, Rice, M S, Seeger, C, Bell, J F, Bennett, K A, Cloutis, E A, Edgar, L A, Frydenvang, J, Grotzinger, J P, L'Haridon, J, Jacob, S R, Mangold, N, Rampe, E B, Rivera-Hernandez, F, Sun, V Z, Thompson, L M & Wellington, D 2020, ' Diagenesis of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars, From Mastcam Multispectral Images ', Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, vol. 125, no. 11, e2019JE006322 . https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE006322, Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets, Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets, Wiley-Blackwell, 2020, 125, ⟨10.1029/2019je006322⟩
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f864b4a535732462b86661da28530d41