Abstract
The Curiosity rover has analyzed abundant light-toned fracture-fill material within the Yellowknife Bay sedimentary deposits. The ChemCam instrument, coupled with Mastcam and ChemCam/Remote Micro Imager images, was able to demonstrate that these fracture fills consist of calcium sulfate veins, many of which appear to be hydrated at a level expected for gypsum and bassanite. Anhydrite is locally present and is found in a location characterized by a nodular texture. An intricate assemblage of veins crosses the sediments, which were likely formed by precipitation from fluids circulating through fractures. The presence of veins throughout the entire ~5 m thick Yellowknife Bay sediments suggests that this process occurred well after sedimentation and cementation/lithification of those sediments. The sulfur-rich fluids may have originated in previously precipitated sulfate-rich layers, either before the deposition of the Sheepbed mudstones or from unrelated units such as the sulfates at the base of Mount Sharp. The occurrence of these veins after the episodes of deposition of fluvial sediments at the surface suggests persistent aqueous activity in relatively nonacidic conditions. Key Points Calcium sulfate is detected by ChemCam in veins crossing fine-grained sedimentsVeins cross various sediments as a result of postdepositional diagenesisCalcium sulfate veins formed through prolonged subsurface fluid circulation
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1991-2016 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth |
| Volume | 119 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2014 |
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Keywords
- alteration
- ChemCam
- Curiosity
- LIBS
- Mars
- sulfates
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geochemistry and Petrology
- Geophysics
- Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Space and Planetary Science
Cite this
Calcium sulfate veins characterized by ChemCam/Curiosity at Gale crater, Mars. / Nachon, M.; Clegg, S. M.; Mangold, N.; Schröder, S.; Kah, L. C.; Dromart, G.; Ollila, A.; Johnson, J. R.; Oehler, D. Z.; Bridges, J. C.; Le Mouélic, S.; Forni, O.; Wiens, R. C.; Anderson, R. B.; Blaney, D. L.; Bell, James; Clark, B.; Cousin, A.; Dyar, M. D.; Ehlmann, B.; Fabre, C.; Gasnault, O.; Grotzinger, J.; Lasue, J.; Lewin, E.; Léveillé, R.; McLennan, S.; Maurice, S.; Meslin, P. Y.; Rapin, W.; Rice, M.; Squyres, S. W.; Stack, K.; Sumner, D. Y.; Vaniman, D.; Wellington, D.
In: Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 119, No. 9, 2014, p. 1991-2016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Calcium sulfate veins characterized by ChemCam/Curiosity at Gale crater, Mars
AU - Nachon, M.
AU - Clegg, S. M.
AU - Mangold, N.
AU - Schröder, S.
AU - Kah, L. C.
AU - Dromart, G.
AU - Ollila, A.
AU - Johnson, J. R.
AU - Oehler, D. Z.
AU - Bridges, J. C.
AU - Le Mouélic, S.
AU - Forni, O.
AU - Wiens, R. C.
AU - Anderson, R. B.
AU - Blaney, D. L.
AU - Bell, James
AU - Clark, B.
AU - Cousin, A.
AU - Dyar, M. D.
AU - Ehlmann, B.
AU - Fabre, C.
AU - Gasnault, O.
AU - Grotzinger, J.
AU - Lasue, J.
AU - Lewin, E.
AU - Léveillé, R.
AU - McLennan, S.
AU - Maurice, S.
AU - Meslin, P. Y.
AU - Rapin, W.
AU - Rice, M.
AU - Squyres, S. W.
AU - Stack, K.
AU - Sumner, D. Y.
AU - Vaniman, D.
AU - Wellington, D.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - The Curiosity rover has analyzed abundant light-toned fracture-fill material within the Yellowknife Bay sedimentary deposits. The ChemCam instrument, coupled with Mastcam and ChemCam/Remote Micro Imager images, was able to demonstrate that these fracture fills consist of calcium sulfate veins, many of which appear to be hydrated at a level expected for gypsum and bassanite. Anhydrite is locally present and is found in a location characterized by a nodular texture. An intricate assemblage of veins crosses the sediments, which were likely formed by precipitation from fluids circulating through fractures. The presence of veins throughout the entire ~5 m thick Yellowknife Bay sediments suggests that this process occurred well after sedimentation and cementation/lithification of those sediments. The sulfur-rich fluids may have originated in previously precipitated sulfate-rich layers, either before the deposition of the Sheepbed mudstones or from unrelated units such as the sulfates at the base of Mount Sharp. The occurrence of these veins after the episodes of deposition of fluvial sediments at the surface suggests persistent aqueous activity in relatively nonacidic conditions. Key Points Calcium sulfate is detected by ChemCam in veins crossing fine-grained sedimentsVeins cross various sediments as a result of postdepositional diagenesisCalcium sulfate veins formed through prolonged subsurface fluid circulation
AB - The Curiosity rover has analyzed abundant light-toned fracture-fill material within the Yellowknife Bay sedimentary deposits. The ChemCam instrument, coupled with Mastcam and ChemCam/Remote Micro Imager images, was able to demonstrate that these fracture fills consist of calcium sulfate veins, many of which appear to be hydrated at a level expected for gypsum and bassanite. Anhydrite is locally present and is found in a location characterized by a nodular texture. An intricate assemblage of veins crosses the sediments, which were likely formed by precipitation from fluids circulating through fractures. The presence of veins throughout the entire ~5 m thick Yellowknife Bay sediments suggests that this process occurred well after sedimentation and cementation/lithification of those sediments. The sulfur-rich fluids may have originated in previously precipitated sulfate-rich layers, either before the deposition of the Sheepbed mudstones or from unrelated units such as the sulfates at the base of Mount Sharp. The occurrence of these veins after the episodes of deposition of fluvial sediments at the surface suggests persistent aqueous activity in relatively nonacidic conditions. Key Points Calcium sulfate is detected by ChemCam in veins crossing fine-grained sedimentsVeins cross various sediments as a result of postdepositional diagenesisCalcium sulfate veins formed through prolonged subsurface fluid circulation
KW - alteration
KW - ChemCam
KW - Curiosity
KW - LIBS
KW - Mars
KW - sulfates
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84918553374&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84918553374&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/2013JE004588
DO - 10.1002/2013JE004588
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84918553374
VL - 119
SP - 1991
EP - 2016
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
SN - 2169-897X
IS - 9
ER -