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

MSL Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1239505

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

MSL Science Team

Geosciences

Stony Brook University

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
University of Texas at Austin
NASA Johnson Space Center
University of Arizona
Indiana University Bloomington
Malin Space Science Systems
United States Geological Survey
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
University of Copenhagen
Cornell University
University of Guelph
Universities Space Research Association
Stony Brook University
California Institute of Technology
Planetary Science Institute
Chesapeake Energy Corporation
University of California at Davis
Institute de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
Oregon State University
Finnish Meteorological Institute
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Carnegie Institution of Washington
University Nacional Autonóma de México
The University of Tennessee
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Princeton University
Arizona State University
SETI Institute

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

341 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
Article number	1239505
Journal	Science
Volume	341
Issue number	6153
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239505
State	Published - Jan 1 2013

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10.1126/science.1239505

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@article{f6522b261e6d48f49ba8b376ec606a6f,

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 = "\{MSL Science Team\} and 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 Farmer, \{J. D.\} and Crisp, \{J. A.\} and Stolper, \{E. M.\} and \{Des Marais\}, \{D. J.\} and P. Sarrazin and Blake, \{D. F.\} and Morris, \{R. V.\} and G. Kocurek and Morrison, \{S. M.\} and Joel Hurowitz",

year = "2013",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1126/science.1239505",

language = "English",

volume = "341",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

number = "6153",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars

T2 - Characterization and analysis of the rocknest sand shadow

AU - MSL Science Team

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, J. D.

AU - Crisp, J. A.

AU - Stolper, E. M.

AU - Des Marais, D. J.

AU - Sarrazin, P.

AU - Blake, D. F.

AU - Morris, R. V.

AU - Kocurek, G.

AU - Morrison, S. M.

AU - Hurowitz, Joel

PY - 2013/1/1

Y1 - 2013/1/1

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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84885616694

U2 - 10.1126/science.1239505

DO - 10.1126/science.1239505

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 341

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6153

M1 - 1239505

ER -

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

Abstract

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