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Spectral and Stratigraphic Mapping of Hydrated Sulfate and Phyllosilicate

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Spectral and Stratigraphic Mapping of Hydrated Sulfate and Phyllosilicate Washington University in St. Louis Washington University Open Scholarship All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) January 2009 Spectral and Stratigraphic Mapping of Hydrated Sulfate and Phyllosilicate-bearing Deposits: Implications for the Aqueous History of Sinus Meridiani, Mars Sandra Wiseman Washington University in St. Louis Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd Recommended Citation Wiseman, Sandra, "Spectral and Stratigraphic Mapping of Hydrated Sulfate and Phyllosilicate-bearing Deposits: Implications for the Aqueous History of Sinus Meridiani, Mars" (2009). All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs). 378. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd/378 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Dissertation Examination Committee: Raymond Arvidson, Chair Jeffrey Catalano Patrick Crowley Daniel Giammar Bradley Jolliff Jill Pasteris SPECTRAL AND STRATIGRAPHIC MAPPING OF HYDRATED SULFATE AND PHYLLOSILICATE-BEARING DEPOSITS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE AQUEOUS HISTORY OF SINUS MERIDIANI, MARS by Sandra Margot Wiseman A dissertation presented to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2009 Saint Louis, Missouri copyright by Sandra Margot Wiseman 2009 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Spectral and Stratigraphic Mapping of Hydrated Sulfate and Phyllosilicate-bearing Deposits: Implications for the Aqueous History of Sinus Meridiani, Mars by Sandra Margot Wiseman Doctor of Philosophy in Earth and Planetary Sciences Washington University in St. Louis, 2009 Professor Raymond Arvidson, Chairperson Data acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) are used in conjunction with additional data sets to perform detailed stratigraphic and spectral analyses with the goal of identifying and mapping the mineralogy and stratigraphy of sedimentary deposits to infer the aqueous history of the Sinus Meridiani region on Mars. Datasets utilized include MRO Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), MRO Context Imager, MRO High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, Mars Express (MEX) Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité, MEX High Resolution Stereo Camera, Mars Odyssey (ODY) Thermal Emission Imaging System, ODY Mars Orbital Camera, and ODY Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. Spectral analyses focus on detection, identification, and mapping of hydrated and/or hydroxylated alteration minerals in the near infrared region between ~1.0 and 2.5 µm. An extensive analysis is presented on methods for the retrieval of atmospherically ii corrected CRISM surface Lambert Albedo spectra using Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer modeling. Sedimentary deposits indicative of a complex aqueous history occur in Sinus Meridiani. Fe/Mg phyllosilicate minerals, including Fe/Mg smectites, are detected in ancient Noachian cratered terrains. Fe/Mg smectites also occur in association with layered sedimentary deposits that unconformably overlie the Noachian cratered terrain. Both of these units predate the formation of the sulfate and hematite-bearing unit on which the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed. At least one episode of intense erosion acted on the sedimentary deposits. A thick sequence of layered hydrated sulfate deposits that are texturally and spectrally distinct from the sulfate rich bedrock explored by the Opportunity Rover occurs in northern Sinus Meridiani. Detailed stratigraphic analyses indicate that these deposits are not readily explained by a simple layered stratigraphy and an unconformable facies change is inferred to have occurred. The presence of Fe/Mg smectite-bearing deposits indicates that the low pH conditions experienced by younger hematite-bearing materials are not representative of the aqueous geochemical environment that prevailed during the formation of earlier materials. The deposits in Sinus Meridiani record the transition from an open hydrologic system with near neutral pH conditions to a more arid acid-sulfate dominated ground water system. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank my advisor, R. E. Arvidson, for his guidance and mentorship. R. V. Morris and M. J. Wolff also provided much appreciated insights and guidance during preparation of dissertation related research. I also thank J. Catalano, P. Crowley, D. Giammar, B. Jolliff, and J. Pasteris for participating on the dissertation committee. The McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences provided funding for this research through a McDonnell Center Fellowship and NASA provided funding through the NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program. I thank the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for participation in acquisition and analysis of CRISM data. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ......................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................vi List of Tables .............................................................................................................viii Chapter 1 – Introduction.........................................................................................1 References ..............................................................................................................3 Chapter 2 – Retrieval of Atmospherically Corrected Hyperspectral CRISM Surface Reflectance Spectra Using DISORT Radiative Transfer Modeling: Comparison to Empirical ‘Volcano Scan’ Correction Method ...........................5 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................5 2.2 Background ......................................................................................................6 2.3 CRISM Lambert Albedo Retrieval Algorithms ...............................................15 2.4 Atmospheric Correction Results ......................................................................17 2.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................24 Figures....................................................................................................................26 References .............................................................................................................50 Chapter 3 – Phyllosilicate and Sulfate-Hematite Deposits within Miyamoto Crater in Southern Sinus Meridiani, Mars ...........................................................52 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................52 3.2 Geologic Context .............................................................................................53 3.3 Spectral Reflectance Retrievals, Analysis, and Mapping ................................54 3.4 Miyamoto Crater Interior Materials .................................................................55 3.5 Discussion and Implications ............................................................................57 Figures....................................................................................................................59 References ..............................................................................................................65 Chapter 4 – Spectral and Stratigraphic Mapping of Hydrated Sulfate and Phyllosilicate-bearing Deposits in Northern Sinus Meridiani, Mars ..................68 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................68 4.2 Geologic Context .............................................................................................69 4.3 Data Sets and Methods.....................................................................................76 4.4 Spectral and Stratigraphic Mapping in Northern Sinus Meridiani ..................83 4.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................96 4.6 Conclusion .......................................................................................................109 Figures....................................................................................................................111 Tables .....................................................................................................................162 References ..............................................................................................................163 Chapter 5 – Synthesis ..............................................................................................171 References ..............................................................................................................174 Appendix A – List of CRISM Images Utilized in Chapter 4................................175 v LIST OF FIGURES 2.1 – Terrestrial mineral spectra and spectral features in the Martian atmosphere ...26 2.2 – CO2, CO, and H20 gas absorptions ...................................................................27
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