The Mars 2020 Candidate Landing Sites: a Magnetic Field Perspective
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The Sedimentology and Mineralogy of the River Uranium Deposit Near Phuthaditjhaba, Qwa-Qwa
PER-74 THE SEDIMENTOLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF THE RIVER URANIUM DEPOSIT NEAR PHUTHADITJHABA, QWA-QWA by J. P. le Roux NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD NUCOR PRIVATE MO X2M PRETORIA 0001 m•v OCTOBER 1982 PER-74- THE SEDIMENTOLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF THE RIVER URANIUM DEPOSIT NEAR PHUTHADITJHABA, QWA-QWA b/ H.J. Brynard * J.P. le Roux * * Geology Department POSTAL ADDRESS: Private Bag X256 PRETORIA 0001 PELINDABA August 1982 ISBN 0-86960-747-2 CONTENTS SAMEVATTING ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. SEDIMENTOLOGY 1 2.1 Introduction 1 2.2 Depositional Environment 2 2.2.1 Palaeocurrents 2 2.2.2 Sedimentary structures and vertical profiles 5 2.2.3 Borehole analysis 15 2.3 Uranium Mineralisation 24 2.4 Conclusions and Recommendations 31 3. MINERALOGY 33 3.1 Introduction 33 3.2 Procedure 33 3.3 Terminology Relating to Carbon Content 34 3.4 Petrographic Description of the Sediments 34 3.5 Uranium Distribution 39 3.6 Minor and Trace Elements 42 3.7 Petrogenesis 43 3.8 Extraction Metallurgy 43 4. REFERENCES 44 PER-74-ii SAMEVATTING 'n Sedimentologiese en mineralogiese ondersoek is van die River-af setting uittigevoer wat deur Mynboukorporasie (Edms) Bpk in Qwa-Qwa, 15 km suaidwes van Phu triad it jnaba, ontdek is. Die ertsliggaam is in íluviale sand-steen van die boonste Elliot- formasie geleë. Palleostroomrigtings dui op 'n riviersisteem met 'n lae tot baie lae 3d.nuositeit en met "h vektor-gemiddelde aanvoer- rigting van 062°. 'n Studie van sedimentere strukture en korrelgroottes in kranssnitte is deuir to ontleding van boorgatlogs aangevul wat die sedimentêre afsettingsoragewing as h gevlegte stroom van die Donjek-tipe onthul. -
A Step Toward Mars University of Dayton
University of Dayton eCommons News Releases Marketing and Communications 4-26-2017 A Step Toward Mars University of Dayton Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/news_rls Recommended Citation University of Dayton, "A Step Toward Mars" (2017). News Releases. 10986. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/news_rls/10986 This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Marketing and Communications at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in News Releases by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Wednesday April 26, 2017 R E L A T E D A STEp TOWARD MARS A R T I C L E S A highly successful test of a prototype power generator Come on at the University of Dayton Research Institute bodes well for NASA's plans to expand its exploration of Mars over Mars with the next rover mission. Rover In early February, NASA scientists narrowed down potential landing sites for Mars 2020 to three — Northeast Syrtis, Jezero Crater and Columbia Hills — at least one of which is likely to be warmer than sites where previous rovers landed. Simultaneously, researchers in Dayton performed a high-temperature qualifying test on a power generator prototype to see if it would operate successfully at the higher temperatures that may be experienced by the generator powering the next rover. The Mars 2020 rover will be powered by a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) — similar to the unit currently providing power to Curiosity in Gale Crater — which converts heat created by naturally decaying plutonium radioisotopes into electricity to power the rover's instruments, computers, wheels, robotic arm and radio. -
The Evolution of a Heterogeneous Martian Mantle: Clues from K, P, Ti, Cr, and Ni Variations in Gusev Basalts and Shergottite Meteorites
Earth and Planetary Science Letters 296 (2010) 67–77 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Earth and Planetary Science Letters journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/epsl The evolution of a heterogeneous Martian mantle: Clues from K, P, Ti, Cr, and Ni variations in Gusev basalts and shergottite meteorites Mariek E. Schmidt a,⁎, Timothy J. McCoy b a Dept. of Earth Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1 b Dept. of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0119, USA article info abstract Article history: Martian basalts represent samples of the interior of the planet, and their composition reflects their source at Received 10 December 2009 the time of extraction as well as later igneous processes that affected them. To better understand the Received in revised form 16 April 2010 composition and evolution of Mars, we compare whole rock compositions of basaltic shergottitic meteorites Accepted 21 April 2010 and basaltic lavas examined by the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover in Gusev Crater. Concentrations range from Available online 2 June 2010 K-poor (as low as 0.02 wt.% K2O) in the shergottites to K-rich (up to 1.2 wt.% K2O) in basalts from the Editor: R.W. Carlson Columbia Hills (CH) of Gusev Crater; the Adirondack basalts from the Gusev Plains have more intermediate concentrations of K2O (0.16 wt.% to below detection limit). The compositional dataset for the Gusev basalts is Keywords: more limited than for the shergottites, but it includes the minor elements K, P, Ti, Cr, and Ni, whose behavior Mars igneous processes during mantle melting varies from very incompatible (prefers melt) to very compatible (remains in the shergottites residuum). -
MARS DURING the PRE-NOACHIAN. J. C. Andrews-Hanna1 and W. B. Bottke2, 1Lunar and Planetary La- Boratory, University of Arizona
Fourth Conference on Early Mars 2017 (LPI Contrib. No. 2014) 3078.pdf MARS DURING THE PRE-NOACHIAN. J. C. Andrews-Hanna1 and W. B. Bottke2, 1Lunar and Planetary La- boratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, [email protected], 2Southwest Research Institute and NASA’s SSERVI-ISET team, 1050 Walnut St., Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302. Introduction: The surface geology of Mars appar- ing the pre-Noachian was ~10% of that during the ently dates back to the beginning of the Early Noachi- LHB. Consideration of the sawtooth-shaped exponen- an, at ~4.1 Ga, leaving ~400 Myr of Mars’ earliest tially declining impact fluxes both in the aftermath of evolution effectively unconstrained [1]. However, an planet formation and during the Late Heavy Bom- enduring record of the earlier pre-Noachian conditions bardment [5] suggests that the impact flux during persists in geophysical and mineralogical data. We use much of the pre-Noachian was even lower than indi- geophysical evidence, primarily in the form of the cated above. This bombardment history is consistent preservation of the crustal dichotomy boundary, to- with a late heavy bombardment (LHB) of the inner gether with mineralogical evidence in order to infer the Solar System [6] during which HUIA formed, which prevailing surface conditions during the pre-Noachian. followed the planet formation era impacts during The emerging picture is a pre-Noachian Mars that was which the dichotomy formed. less dynamic than Noachian Mars in terms of impacts, Pre-Noachian Tectonism and Volcanism: The geodynamics, and hydrology. crust within each of the southern highlands and north- Pre-Noachian Impacts: We define the pre- ern lowlands is remarkably uniform in thickness, aside Noachian as the time period bounded by two impacts – from regions in which it has been thickened by volcan- the dichotomy-forming impact and the Hellas-forming ism (e.g., Tharsis, Elysium) or thinned by impacts impact. -
Mawrth Vallis, Mars: a Fascinating Place for Future in Situ Exploration
Mawrth Vallis, Mars: a fascinating place for future in situ exploration François Poulet1, Christoph Gross2, Briony Horgan3, Damien Loizeau1, Janice L. Bishop4, John Carter1, Csilla Orgel2 1Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France 2Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany 3Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA. 4SETI Institute/NASA-ARC, Mountain View, CA, USA Corresponding author: François Poulet, IAS, Bâtiment 121, CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France; email: [email protected] Running title: Mawrth: a fascinating place for exploration 1 Abstract After the successful landing of the Mars Science Laboratory rover, both NASA and ESA initiated a selection process for potential landing sites for the Mars2020 and ExoMars missions, respectively. Two ellipses located in the Mawrth Vallis region were proposed and evaluated during a series of meetings (3 for Mars2020 mission and 5 for ExoMars). We describe here the regional context of the two proposed ellipses as well as the framework of the objectives of these two missions. Key science targets of the ellipses and their astrobiological interests are reported. This work confirms the proposed ellipses contain multiple past Martian wet environments of subaerial, subsurface and/or subaqueous character, in which to probe the past climate of Mars, build a broad picture of possible past habitable environments, evaluate their exobiological potentials and search for biosignatures in well-preserved rocks. A mission scenario covering several key investigations during the nominal mission of each rover is also presented, as well as descriptions of how the site fulfills the science requirements and expectations of in situ martian exploration. -
Columbus Crater HLS2 Hangout: Exploration Zone Briefing
Columbus Crater HLS2 Hangout: Exploration Zone Briefing Kennda Lynch1,2, Angela Dapremont2, Lauren Kimbrough2, Alex Sessa2, and James Wray2 1Lunar and Planetary Institute/Universities Space Research Association 2Georgia Institute of Technology Columbus Crater: An Overview • Groundwater-fed paleolake located in northwest region of Terra Sirenum • ~110 km in diameter • Diversity of Noachian & Hesperian aged deposits and outcrops • High diversity of aqueous mineral deposits • Estimated 1.5 km depth of sedimentary and/or volcanic infill • High Habitability and Biosignature Preservation Potential LZ & Field Station Latitude: 194.0194 E Longitude: 29.2058 S Altitude: +910 m SROI #1 RROI #1 LZ/HZ SROI #4 SROI #2 SROI #5 22 KM HiRISE Digital Terrain Model (DTM) • HiRISE DTMs are made from two images of the same area on the ground, taken from different look angles (known as a stereo-pair) • DTM’s are powerful research tools that allow researchers to take terrain measurements and model geological processes • For our traversability analysis of Columbus: • The HiRISE DTM was processed and completed by the University of Arizona HiRISE Operations Center. • DTM data were imported into ArcMap 10.5 software and traverses were acquired and analyzed using the 3D analyst tool. • A slope map was created in ArcMap to assess slope values along traverses as a supplement to topography observations. Slope should be ≤30°to meet human mission requirements. Conclusions Traversability • 9 out of the 17 traverses analyzed met the slope criteria for human missions. • This region of Columbus Crater is traversable and allows access to regions of astrobiological interest. It is also a possible access point to other regions of Terra Sirenum. -
Tardi-Magmatic Precipitation of Martian Fe/Mg-Rich Clay Minerals Via Igneous Differentiation
©2020TheAuthors Published by the European Association of Geochemistry ▪ Tardi-magmatic precipitation of Martian Fe/Mg-rich clay minerals via igneous differentiation J.-C. Viennet1*, S. Bernard1, C. Le Guillou2, V. Sautter1, P. Schmitt-Kopplin3, O. Beyssac1, S. Pont1, B. Zanda1, R. Hewins1, L. Remusat1 Abstract doi: 10.7185/geochemlet.2023 Mars is seen as a basalt covered world that has been extensively altered through hydrothermal or near surface water-rock interactions. As a result, all the Fe/Mg-rich clay minerals detected from orbit so far have been interpreted as secondary, i.e. as products of aqueous alteration of pre-existing silicates by (sub)surface water. Based on the fine scale petrographic study of the evolved mesostasis of the Nakhla mete- orite, we report here the presence of primary Fe/Mg-rich clay minerals that directly precipitated from a water-rich fluid exsolved from the Cl-rich parental melt of nakhlites during igneous differentiation. Such a tardi-magmatic precipitation of clay minerals requires much lower amounts of water compared to production via aque- ous alteration. Although primary Fe/Mg-rich clay minerals are minor phases in Nakhla, the contribution of such a process to Martian clay formation may have been quite significant during the Noachian given that Noachian magmas were richer in H2O. In any case, the present discovery justifies a re-evaluation of the exact origin of the clay minerals detected on Mars so far, with potential consequences for our vision of the early magmatic and climatic histories of Mars. Received 26 January 2020 | Accepted 27 May 2020 | Published 8 July 2020 Letter mafic crustal materials (Smith and Bandfield, 2012; Ehlmann and Edwards, 2014). -
Widespread Crater-Related Pitted Materials on Mars: Further Evidence for the Role of Target Volatiles During the Impact Process ⇑ Livio L
Icarus 220 (2012) 348–368 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Icarus journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus Widespread crater-related pitted materials on Mars: Further evidence for the role of target volatiles during the impact process ⇑ Livio L. Tornabene a, , Gordon R. Osinski a, Alfred S. McEwen b, Joseph M. Boyce c, Veronica J. Bray b, Christy M. Caudill b, John A. Grant d, Christopher W. Hamilton e, Sarah Mattson b, Peter J. Mouginis-Mark c a University of Western Ontario, Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration, Earth Sciences, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7 b University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Lab, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USA c University of Hawai’i, Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, Ma¯noa, HI 96822, USA d Smithsonian Institution, Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA e NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA article info abstract Article history: Recently acquired high-resolution images of martian impact craters provide further evidence for the Received 28 August 2011 interaction between subsurface volatiles and the impact cratering process. A densely pitted crater-related Revised 29 April 2012 unit has been identified in images of 204 craters from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This sample of Accepted 9 May 2012 craters are nearly equally distributed between the two hemispheres, spanning from 53°Sto62°N latitude. Available online 24 May 2012 They range in diameter from 1 to 150 km, and are found at elevations between À5.5 to +5.2 km relative to the martian datum. The pits are polygonal to quasi-circular depressions that often occur in dense clus- Keywords: ters and range in size from 10 m to as large as 3 km. -
Physical Properties of Martian Meteorites: Porosity and Density Measurements
Meteoritics & Planetary Science 42, Nr 12, 2043–2054 (2007) Abstract available online at http://meteoritics.org Physical properties of Martian meteorites: Porosity and density measurements Ian M. COULSON1, 2*, Martin BEECH3, and Wenshuang NIE3 1Solid Earth Studies Laboratory (SESL), Department of Geology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada 2Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany 3Campion College, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] (Received 11 September 2006; revision accepted 06 June 2007) Abstract–Martian meteorites are fragments of the Martian crust. These samples represent igneous rocks, much like basalt. As such, many laboratory techniques designed for the study of Earth materials have been applied to these meteorites. Despite numerous studies of Martian meteorites, little data exists on their basic structural characteristics, such as porosity or density, information that is important in interpreting their origin, shock modification, and cosmic ray exposure history. Analysis of these meteorites provides both insight into the various lithologies present as well as the impact history of the planet’s surface. We present new data relating to the physical characteristics of twelve Martian meteorites. Porosity was determined via a combination of scanning electron microscope (SEM) imagery/image analysis and helium pycnometry, coupled with a modified Archimedean method for bulk density measurements. Our results show a range in porosity and density values and that porosity tends to increase toward the edge of the sample. Preliminary interpretation of the data demonstrates good agreement between porosity measured at 100× and 300× magnification for the shergottite group, while others exhibit more variability. -
Implications for Mars 2020 Strategic Planning. J.I
52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2021 (LPI Contrib. No. 2548) 1515.pdf CHARACTERIZING THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE NILI PLANUM REGION OUTSIDE JEZERO CRATER: IMPLICATIONS FOR MARS 2020 STRATEGIC PLANNING. J.I. Simon1, E.L. Scheller2, S. Holm- Alwmark3, K.C. Benison4, T. Bosak5, A.J. Brown6, L.E. Mayhew7, D.L. Shuster8, V. Sun9, B.P. Weiss5, N.R. Williams9, and the Mars 2020 Science Team. 1NASA JSC, TX ([email protected]), 2Caltech, CA, 3University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 4West Virginia University, WV, 5MIT, MA, 6Plancius Research, MD, 7University of Colorado Boulder, CO, 8UC Berkeley, CA, 9JPL/Caltech, CA. Introduction: The Mars 2020 team has developed plans for exploration and sample collection of the Nili On delta Planum region outside Jezero crater (Fig. 1) for the Near delta Far east possibility of an extended mission. This extended mission would follow and complement the exploration Sample of Jezero, as it expands investigations of the regional depots/ stratigraphy [1-2] to new settings and would likely Start extend the accessible geology ~1-2 billion years Areas in compared to the primary mission. This area has common representative units of Nili Fossae and the Nili Planum regions [3-6], including the canonical Noachian Basement, Olivine-carbonate Unit, Mafic Cap Unit, and putative younger fluvial-lacustrine deposits and presumably spans Pre-Noachian/Early Noachian to Figure 1: Region and suggested extended mission rover paths Hesperian time [1-4]. This stratigraphy likely records outside Jezero crater. Color coding indicate 3 paths that afford high prior surface and subsurface aqueous environments, priority science and sampling objectives in Nili Planum. -
Volcanism on Mars
Author's personal copy Chapter 41 Volcanism on Mars James R. Zimbelman Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA William Brent Garry and Jacob Elvin Bleacher Sciences and Exploration Directorate, Code 600, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA David A. Crown Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA Chapter Outline 1. Introduction 717 7. Volcanic Plains 724 2. Background 718 8. Medusae Fossae Formation 725 3. Large Central Volcanoes 720 9. Compositional Constraints 726 4. Paterae and Tholi 721 10. Volcanic History of Mars 727 5. Hellas Highland Volcanoes 722 11. Future Studies 728 6. Small Constructs 723 Further Reading 728 GLOSSARY shield volcano A broad volcanic construct consisting of a multitude of individual lava flows. Flank slopes are typically w5, or less AMAZONIAN The youngest geologic time period on Mars identi- than half as steep as the flanks on a typical composite volcano. fied through geologic mapping of superposition relations and the SNC meteorites A group of igneous meteorites that originated on areal density of impact craters. Mars, as indicated by a relatively young age for most of these caldera An irregular collapse feature formed over the evacuated meteorites, but most importantly because gases trapped within magma chamber within a volcano, which includes the potential glassy parts of the meteorite are identical to the atmosphere of for a significant role for explosive volcanism. Mars. The abbreviation is derived from the names of the three central volcano Edifice created by the emplacement of volcanic meteorites that define major subdivisions identified within the materials from a centralized source vent rather than from along a group: S, Shergotty; N, Nakhla; C, Chassigny. -
The Deposition and Alteration History of the Northeast Syrtis Major Layered Sulfates
The deposition and alteration history of the northeast Syrtis Major layered sulfates Daven P. Quinn1 and B.L. Ehlmann1,2 1Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA 2Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA October 12, 2018 Abstract The ancient stratigraphy on the western margin of the Isidis basin records the history of wateron early Mars. Noachian units are overlain by layered, basaltic-composition sedimentary rocks that are enriched in polyhydrated sulfates and capped by more resistant units. The layered sulfates – uniquely exposed at northeast Syrtis Major – comprise a sedimentary sequence up to 600-m thick that has undergone a multi-stage history of deposition, alteration, and erosion. Siliciclastic sed- iments enriched in polyhydrated sulfates are bedded at m-scale and were deposited on slopes up to 10°, embaying and thinning against pre-existing Noachian highlands around the Isidis basin rim. The layered sulfates were then modified by volume-loss fracturing during diagenesis, and the fractures hosted channelized flow and jarosite mineral precipitation to form resistant ridges upon erosion. The depositional form and diagenetic volume-loss recorded by the layered sulfates suggest deposition in a deepwater basin. After their formation, the layered sulfates were first capped by a “smooth capping unit” and then eroded to form paleovalleys. Hesperian Syrtis Ma- jor lavas were channelized by this paleotopography, capping it in some places and filling it in others. Later fluvial features and phyllosilicate-bearing lacustrine deposits, which share a con- sistent regional base level (~-2300 m), were superimposed on the sulfate-lava stratigraphy.