Depositional and Diagenetic Sulfates of Hogwallow Flats and Yori Pass, Jezero Crater : Evaluating Preservation Potential of Environmental Indicators and Possible Biosignatures From Past Martian Surface Waters and Groundwaters

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover has examined and sampled sulfate-rich clastic rocks from the Hogwallow Flats member at Hawksbill Gap and the Yori Pass member at Cape Nukshak. Both strata are located on the Jezero crater western fan front, are lithologically and stratigraphically similar, and have been assigned to the Shenandoah formation. In situ analyses demonstrate that these are fine-grained sandstones composed of phyllosilicates, hematite, Ca-sulfates, Fe-Mg-sulfates, ferric sulfates, and possibly chloride salts. Sulfate minerals are found both as depositional grains and diagenetic features, including intergranular cement and vein- and vug-cements. Here, we describe the possibility of various sulfate phases to preserve potential biosignatures and the record of paleoenvironmental conditions in fluid and solid inclusions, based on findings from analog sulfate-rich rocks on Earth. The samples collected from these outcrops, Hazeltop and Bearwallow from Hogwallow Flats, and Kukaklek from Yori Pass, should be examined for such potential biosignatures and environmental indicators upon return to Earth.
We thank the entire Mars 2020 science, engineering, and leadership team. K. C. Benison and K. K. Gill acknowledge funding from National Aeronautics and Space Administration Grant 80NSSC20K0235 to K.C.B. T. Bosak is supported by NASA Grant 80NSSC20K0234 and the Simons Foundation Collaboration on the Origins of Life #327126. E. A. Cloutis acknowledges funding from the Canadian Space Agency (Grants 15FASTA05 and 22EXPCOI4), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Grants RGPIN‐2015‐0452, RTI‐2020‐00157, and RGPIN‐2023‐03413), the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Research Manitoba (Grants CFI1504 and CFI‐2450). F. Fornaro was funded through the ASI/INAF Agreement n. 2023‐3‐HH. C. D. K. Herd and N. Randazzo acknowledge funding from the Canadian Space Agency (20EXPMARS), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Grant RGPIN‐2018‐04902 to C.D.K.H.). J. M. Madariaga and J. M. Frias acknowledge funding from the Spanish Agency for Research AEI/MCIN/FEDER Grant PID2022‐142750OB‐I00. M. Nachon was funded by NASA M2020 Participating Scientist Grant 80NSSC21K0329. S. Sharma, K. Hand, and K. Uckert acknowledge funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004) to support research that was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. S. Siljeström acknowledges funding from the Swedish National Space Agency, contract 2021‐00092. A. Williams acknowledges funding from NASA 80NSSC21K0332.