Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars: Characterization and analysis of the rocknest sand shadow

D. F. Blake; R. V. Morris; G. Kocurek; S. M. Morrison; R. T. Downs; D. Bish; D. W. Ming; K. S. Edgett; D. Rubin; W. Goetz; M. B. Madsen; R. Sullivan; R. Gellert; I. Campbell; A. H. Treiman; S. M. McLennan; A. S. Yen; J. Grotzinger; D. T. Vaniman; S. J. Chipera; C. N. Achilles; E. B. Rampe; D. Sumner; P. Y. Meslin; S. Maurice; O. Forni; O. Gasnault; M. Fisk; M. Schmidt; P. Mahaffy; L. A. Leshin; D. Glavin; A. Steele; C. Freissinet; R. Navarro-González; R. A. Yingst; L. C. Kah; N. Bridges; K. W. Lewis; T. F. Bristow; Jack Farmer; J. A. Crisp; E. M. Stolper; D. J. Des Marais; P. Sarrazin

doi:10.1126/science.1239505

Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars: Characterization and analysis of the rocknest sand shadow

D. F. Blake, R. V. Morris, G. Kocurek, S. M. Morrison, R. T. Downs, D. Bish, D. W. Ming, K. S. Edgett, D. Rubin, W. Goetz, M. B. Madsen, R. Sullivan, R. Gellert, I. Campbell, A. H. Treiman, S. M. McLennan, A. S. Yen, J. Grotzinger, D. T. Vaniman, S. J. ChiperaC. N. Achilles, E. B. Rampe, D. Sumner, P. Y. Meslin, S. Maurice, O. Forni, O. Gasnault, M. Fisk, M. Schmidt, P. Mahaffy, L. A. Leshin, D. Glavin, A. Steele, C. Freissinet, R. Navarro-González, R. A. Yingst, L. C. Kah, N. Bridges, K. W. Lewis, T. F. Bristow, Jack Farmer, J. A. Crisp, E. M. Stolper, D. J. Des Marais, P. Sarrazin

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

283 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Rocknest aeolian deposit is similar to aeolian features analyzed by the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity. The fraction of sand <150 micrometers in size contains ∼55% crystalline material consistent with a basaltic heritage and ∼45% x-ray amorphous material. The amorphous component of Rocknest is iron-rich and silicon-poor and is the host of the volatiles (water, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and chlorine) detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument and of the fine-grained nanophase oxide component first described from basaltic soils analyzed by MERs. The similarity between soils and aeolian materials analyzed at Gusev Crater, Meridiani Planum, and Gale Crater implies locally sourced, globally similar basaltic materials or globally and regionally sourced basaltic components deposited locally at all three locations.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	1239505
Journal	Science
Volume	341
Issue number	6153
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239505
State	Published - 2013

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Blake, D. F., Morris, R. V., Kocurek, G., Morrison, S. M., Downs, R. T., Bish, D., Ming, D. W., Edgett, K. S., Rubin, D., Goetz, W., Madsen, M. B., Sullivan, R., Gellert, R., Campbell, I., Treiman, A. H., McLennan, S. M., Yen, A. S., Grotzinger, J., Vaniman, D. T., ... Sarrazin, P. (2013). Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars: Characterization and analysis of the rocknest sand shadow. Science, 341(6153), Article 1239505. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239505

Blake, DF, Morris, RV, Kocurek, G, Morrison, SM, Downs, RT, Bish, D, Ming, DW, Edgett, KS, Rubin, D, Goetz, W, Madsen, MB, Sullivan, R, Gellert, R, Campbell, I, Treiman, AH, McLennan, SM, Yen, AS, Grotzinger, J, Vaniman, DT, Chipera, SJ, Achilles, CN, Rampe, EB, Sumner, D, Meslin, PY, Maurice, S, Forni, O, Gasnault, O, Fisk, M, Schmidt, M, Mahaffy, P, Leshin, LA, Glavin, D, Steele, A, Freissinet, C, Navarro-González, R, Yingst, RA, Kah, LC, Bridges, N, Lewis, KW, Bristow, TF, Farmer, J, Crisp, JA, Stolper, EM, Des Marais, DJ & Sarrazin, P 2013, 'Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars: Characterization and analysis of the rocknest sand shadow', Science, vol. 341, no. 6153, 1239505. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239505

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title = "Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars: Characterization and analysis of the rocknest sand shadow",

abstract = "The Rocknest aeolian deposit is similar to aeolian features analyzed by the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity. The fraction of sand <150 micrometers in size contains ∼55% crystalline material consistent with a basaltic heritage and ∼45% x-ray amorphous material. The amorphous component of Rocknest is iron-rich and silicon-poor and is the host of the volatiles (water, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and chlorine) detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument and of the fine-grained nanophase oxide component first described from basaltic soils analyzed by MERs. The similarity between soils and aeolian materials analyzed at Gusev Crater, Meridiani Planum, and Gale Crater implies locally sourced, globally similar basaltic materials or globally and regionally sourced basaltic components deposited locally at all three locations.",

author = "Blake, {D. F.} and Morris, {R. V.} and G. Kocurek and Morrison, {S. M.} and Downs, {R. T.} and D. Bish and Ming, {D. W.} and Edgett, {K. S.} and D. Rubin and W. Goetz and Madsen, {M. B.} and R. Sullivan and R. Gellert and I. Campbell and Treiman, {A. H.} and McLennan, {S. M.} and Yen, {A. S.} and J. Grotzinger and Vaniman, {D. T.} and Chipera, {S. J.} and Achilles, {C. N.} and Rampe, {E. B.} and D. Sumner and Meslin, {P. Y.} and S. Maurice and O. Forni and O. Gasnault and M. Fisk and M. Schmidt and P. Mahaffy and Leshin, {L. A.} and D. Glavin and A. Steele and C. Freissinet and R. Navarro-Gonz{\'a}lez and Yingst, {R. A.} and Kah, {L. C.} and N. Bridges and Lewis, {K. W.} and Bristow, {T. F.} and Jack Farmer and Crisp, {J. A.} and Stolper, {E. M.} and {Des Marais}, {D. J.} and P. Sarrazin",

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doi = "10.1126/science.1239505",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars

T2 - Characterization and analysis of the rocknest sand shadow

AU - Blake, D. F.

AU - Morris, R. V.

AU - Kocurek, G.

AU - Morrison, S. M.

AU - Downs, R. T.

AU - Bish, D.

AU - Ming, D. W.

AU - Edgett, K. S.

AU - Rubin, D.

AU - Goetz, W.

AU - Madsen, M. B.

AU - Sullivan, R.

AU - Gellert, R.

AU - Campbell, I.

AU - Treiman, A. H.

AU - McLennan, S. M.

AU - Yen, A. S.

AU - Grotzinger, J.

AU - Vaniman, D. T.

AU - Chipera, S. J.

AU - Achilles, C. N.

AU - Rampe, E. B.

AU - Sumner, D.

AU - Meslin, P. Y.

AU - Maurice, S.

AU - Forni, O.

AU - Gasnault, O.

AU - Fisk, M.

AU - Schmidt, M.

AU - Mahaffy, P.

AU - Leshin, L. A.

AU - Glavin, D.

AU - Steele, A.

AU - Freissinet, C.

AU - Navarro-González, R.

AU - Yingst, R. A.

AU - Kah, L. C.

AU - Bridges, N.

AU - Lewis, K. W.

AU - Bristow, T. F.

AU - Farmer, Jack

AU - Crisp, J. A.

AU - Stolper, E. M.

AU - Des Marais, D. J.

AU - Sarrazin, P.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - The Rocknest aeolian deposit is similar to aeolian features analyzed by the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity. The fraction of sand <150 micrometers in size contains ∼55% crystalline material consistent with a basaltic heritage and ∼45% x-ray amorphous material. The amorphous component of Rocknest is iron-rich and silicon-poor and is the host of the volatiles (water, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and chlorine) detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument and of the fine-grained nanophase oxide component first described from basaltic soils analyzed by MERs. The similarity between soils and aeolian materials analyzed at Gusev Crater, Meridiani Planum, and Gale Crater implies locally sourced, globally similar basaltic materials or globally and regionally sourced basaltic components deposited locally at all three locations.

AB - The Rocknest aeolian deposit is similar to aeolian features analyzed by the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity. The fraction of sand <150 micrometers in size contains ∼55% crystalline material consistent with a basaltic heritage and ∼45% x-ray amorphous material. The amorphous component of Rocknest is iron-rich and silicon-poor and is the host of the volatiles (water, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and chlorine) detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument and of the fine-grained nanophase oxide component first described from basaltic soils analyzed by MERs. The similarity between soils and aeolian materials analyzed at Gusev Crater, Meridiani Planum, and Gale Crater implies locally sourced, globally similar basaltic materials or globally and regionally sourced basaltic components deposited locally at all three locations.

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JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6153

M1 - 1239505

ER -

Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars: Characterization and analysis of the rocknest sand shadow

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