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- Stack, K. M., et al.
(författare)
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Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of the Shenandoah Formation, Western Fan, Jezero Crater, Mars
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. - 2169-9097. ; 129:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 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.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Lanza, Nina L., et al.
(författare)
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Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars
- 2016
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:14, s. 7398-7407
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Curiosity rover observed high Mn abundances (>25wt % MnO) in fracture-filling materials that crosscut sandstones in the Kimberley region of Gale crater, Mars. The correlation between Mn and trace metal abundances plus the lack of correlation between Mn and elements such as S, Cl, and C, reveals that these deposits are Mn oxides rather than evaporites or other salts. On Earth, environments that concentrate Mn and deposit Mn minerals require water and highly oxidizing conditions; hence, these findings suggest that similar processes occurred on Mars. Based on the strong association between Mn-oxide deposition and evolving atmospheric dioxygen levels on Earth, the presence of these Mn phases on Mars suggests that there was more abundant molecular oxygen within the atmosphere and some groundwaters of ancient Mars than in the present day
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| 4. |
- Melikechi, N., et al.
(författare)
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Correcting for variable laser-target distances of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurements with ChemCam using emission lines of Martian dust spectra
- 2014
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Ingår i: Spectrochimica Acta Part B - Atomic Spectroscopy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0584-8547 .- 1873-3565. ; 96, s. 51-60
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As part of the Mars Science Laboratory, the ChemCam instrument acquires remote laser induced breakdown spectra at distances that vary between 1.56 m and 7 m. This variation in distance affects the intensities of the measured LIBS emission lines in non-trivial ways. To determine the behavior of a LIBS emission line with distance, it is necessary to separate the effects of many parameters such as laser energy, laser spot size, target homogeneity, and optical collection efficiency. These parameters may be controlled in a laboratory on Earth but for field applications or in space this is a challenge. In this paper, we show that carefully selected ChemCam LIBS emission lines acquired from the Martian dust can be used to build an internal proxy spectroscopic standard. This in turn, allows for a direct measurement of the effects of the distance of various LIBS emission lines and hence can be used to correct ChemCam LIBS spectra for distance variations. When tested on pre-launch LIBS calibration data acquired under Martian-like conditions and with controlled and well-calibrated targets, this approach yields much improved agreement between targets observed at various distances. This work lays the foundation for future implementation of automated routines to correct ChemCam spectra for differences caused by variable distance.
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