Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of the Shenandoah Formation, Western Fan, Jezero Crater, Mars
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Sedimentary fans are key targets of exploration on Mars because they record the history of surface aqueous activity and habitability. The sedimentary fan extending from the Neretva Vallis breach of Jezero crater's western rim is one of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover's main exploration targets. Perseverance spent ∼250 sols exploring and collecting seven rock cores from the lower ∼25 m of sedimentary rock exposed within the fan's eastern scarp, a sequence informally named the “Shenandoah” formation. This study describes the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Shenandoah formation at two areas, “Cape Nukshak” and “Hawksbill Gap,” including a characterization, interpretation, and depositional framework for the facies that comprise it. The five main facies of the Shenandoah formation include: laminated mudstone, laminated sandstone, low-angle cross stratified sandstone, thin-bedded granule sandstone, and thick-bedded granule-pebble sandstone and conglomerate. These facies are organized into three facies associations (FA): FA1, comprised of laminated and soft sediment-deformed sandstone interbedded with broad, unconfined coarser-grained granule and pebbly sandstone intervals; FA2, comprised predominantly of laterally extensive, soft-sediment deformed laminated, sulfate-bearing mudstone with lenses of low-angle cross-stratified and scoured sandstone; and FA3, comprised of dipping planar, thin-bedded sand-gravel couplets. The depositional model favored for the Shenandoah formation involves the transition from a sand-dominated distal alluvial fan setting (FA1) to a stable, widespread saline lake (FA2), followed by the progradation of a river delta system (FA3) into the lake basin. This sequence records the initiation of a relatively long-lived, habitable lacustrine and deltaic environment within Jezero crater.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Artikelnummer | e2023JE008187 |
| Tidsskrift | Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |
| Vol/bind | 129 |
| Udgave nummer | 2 |
| Antal sider | 42 |
| ISSN | 2169-9097 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 2024 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:
This research was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and with the support of NASA's Mars 2020 Project via subcontracts with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. This research was also supported by NASA via contract NNH15AZ241 to R. Wiens, the UK Space Agency via Grants ST/Y0001531/1 and ST/X002373/1 to S. Gupta and ST/V00560X/1 to K. Hickman‐Lewis, the Royal Society via Grant SRF/R1/21000106 to S. Gupta, the Research Council of Norway via Grant 309835 to S.E. Hamran and 301238 to S.E. Hamran and H. Dypvik, the Canadian Space Agency via Grant 309835 supporting N. Randazzo, the Swedish Research Council via Grant 2022‐04255 to S. Alwmark, the NASA Mars 2020 Participating Scientist Program via Grants 80NSSC21K0332 to A. Williams and 80NSSC21K0327 to L. Crumpler, and the NASA FINESST Fellowship via award 80NSSC22K1373 to O. Kanine. The authors would like to acknowledge the scientists and engineers of the Mars 2020 Perseverance and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions for acquiring and providing the data used in this study. We would also like to thank Ben Cardenas and Mathieu Lapôtre for their valuable input and careful editing that improved this manuscript. 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:
This research was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and with the support of NASA's Mars 2020 Project via subcontracts with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. This research was also supported by NASA via contract NNH15AZ241 to R. Wiens, the UK Space Agency via Grants ST/Y0001531/1 and ST/X002373/1 to S. Gupta and ST/V00560X/1 to K. Hickman-Lewis, the Royal Society via Grant SRF/R1/21000106 to S. Gupta, the Research Council of Norway via Grant 309835 to S.E. Hamran and 301238 to S.E. Hamran and H. Dypvik, the Canadian Space Agency via Grant 309835 supporting N. Randazzo, the Swedish Research Council via Grant 2022-04255 to S. Alwmark, the NASA Mars 2020 Participating Scientist Program via Grants 80NSSC21K0332 to A. Williams and 80NSSC21K0327 to L. Crumpler, and the NASA FINESST Fellowship via award 80NSSC22K1373 to O. Kanine. The authors would like to acknowledge the scientists and engineers of the Mars 2020 Perseverance and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions for acquiring and providing the data used in this study. We would also like to thank Ben Cardenas and Mathieu Lapôtre for their valuable input and careful editing that improved this manuscript. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged.
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