Overview of the Morphology and Chemistry of Diagenetic Features in the Clay-Rich Glen Torridon Unit of Gale Crater, Mars
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The clay-rich Glen Torridon region of Gale crater, Mars, was explored between sols 2300 and 3007. Here, we analyzed the diagenetic features observed by Curiosity, including veins, cements, nodules, and nodular bedrock, using the ChemCam, Mastcam, and Mars Hand Lens Imager instruments. We discovered many diagenetic features in Glen Torridon, including dark-toned iron- and manganese-rich veins, magnesium- and fluorine-rich linear features, Ca-sulfate cemented bedrock, manganese-rich nodules, and iron-rich strata. We have characterized the chemistry and morphology of these features, which are most widespread in the higher stratigraphic members in Glen Torridon, and exhibit a wide range of chemistries. These discoveries are strong evidence for multiple generations of fluids from multiple chemical endmembers that likely underwent redox reactions to form some of these features. In a few cases, we may be able to use mineralogy and chemistry to constrain formation conditions of the diagenetic features. For example, the dark-toned veins likely formed in warmer, highly alkaline, and highly reducing conditions, while manganese-rich nodules likely formed in oxidizing and circumneutral conditions. We also hypothesize that an initial enrichment of soluble elements, including fluorine, occurred during hydrothermal alteration early in Gale crater history to account for elemental enrichment in nodules and veins. The presence of redox-active elements, including Fe and Mn, and elements required for life, including P and S, in these fluids is strong evidence for habitability of Gale crater groundwater. Hydrothermal alteration also has interesting implications for prebiotic chemistry during the earliest stages of the crater's evolution and early Mars.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Artikelnummer | e2021JE007097 |
| Tidsskrift | Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |
| Vol/bind | 127 |
| Udgave nummer | 12 |
| Antal sider | 42 |
| ISSN | 2169-9100 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 2022 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:
The authors thank JPL for building and operating the Curiosity rover, as well as the NASA Mars Exploration Program and CNES for their support. The authors thank the Glen Torridon special issue authors for a great discussion of the results and especially Kristen Bennett, Alexander Bryk, William Dietrich, and Valerie Fox, for organizing the special issue. P. J. Gasda thanks Sean Czarnecki, Woodward Fischer, and Olivier Forni for their helpful discussions of the work and Scott VanBommel for helping prepare the supplemental database for archiving on the Planetary Data System. P. J. Gasda thanks Kristen Bennett, Travis Gabriel, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript. J. Comellas thanks Valerie Payré for assistance with the lithium data set. E. Dehouck, W. Rapin, P.-Y. Meslin, G. David, G. Caravaca, S. Le Mouélic, A. Cousin, S. Maurice, and O. Gasnault acknowledge funding from CNES (grant code 180027). S. P. Schwenzer acknowledges funding from the UKSA (grant code ST/S001522/1), and the Research England Expanding Excellence in England (E3) fund (grant code 124.18). J. Frydenvang acknowledges the support from the Carlsberg Foundation. Mastcam mosaics were processed by the Mastcam team at the Malin Space Science Systems. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Funding Information:
The authors thank JPL for building and operating the rover, as well as the NASA Mars Exploration Program and CNES for their support. The authors thank the Glen Torridon special issue authors for a great discussion of the results and especially Kristen Bennett, Alexander Bryk, William Dietrich, and Valerie Fox, for organizing the special issue. P. J. Gasda thanks Sean Czarnecki, Woodward Fischer, and Olivier Forni for their helpful discussions of the work and Scott VanBommel for helping prepare the supplemental database for archiving on the Planetary Data System. P. J. Gasda thanks Kristen Bennett, Travis Gabriel, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript. J. Comellas thanks Valerie Payré for assistance with the lithium data set. E. Dehouck, W. Rapin, P.‐Y. Meslin, G. David, G. Caravaca, S. Le Mouélic, A. Cousin, S. Maurice, and O. Gasnault acknowledge funding from CNES (grant code 180027). S. P. Schwenzer acknowledges funding from the UKSA (grant code ST/S001522/1), and the Research England Expanding Excellence in England (E3) fund (grant code 124.18). J. Frydenvang acknowledges the support from the Carlsberg Foundation. Mastcam mosaics were processed by the Mastcam team at the Malin Space Science Systems. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Curiosity
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© 2022 The Authors.
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