Sinus Meridiani Landing Site for Human Exploraon — A Mesoscale Fluvial System Workshop Abstract # 1042 M. Justin Wilkinson Texas State Univ., Earth Science & Remote Sensing, Jacobs Contract, NASA-JSC, Houston, TX Patrick J. McGovern USRA, Lunar Planetary Institute, Houston, TX Heath Mills University of Houston-Clear Lake, Clear Lake, TX Exploraon Zone Map 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Full slide image of proposed FOR EXAMPLE: Explora>on Zone map graphically annotated with the following: • Iden8fy well-known features • ~200 km diameter showing the EZ extent • SCienCe Regions of Interest - numbered SROI 1 through SROI (n) • ResourCe Regions of Interest - numbered RROI 1 through RROI (n) • Landing Site with latude, longitude, and al8tude • LoCaon of Surface Feld Staon Sinus Meridiani—Miyamoto 2 Meridiani sediment suite setting — regional fluvial analog ? Sinus Meridiani sediment suite Miyamoto numerous valley networks Sinus Meridiani, Mars image width represents ~1400 km, THEMIS Daylight IR mosaic Meridiani sediment suite setting — regional fluvial analog ? Sinus Meridiani sediment suite Miyamoto numerous valley networks Analog for Sinus Meridiani? Sinus Meridiani, Mars image width represents ~1400 km, THEMIS Daylight IR mosaic Meridiani sediment suite setting — regional fluvial T I B E T analog ? 210 km 325 km 120 km G a n g e s GANGES PLAIN — Kosi R. Mahananda-Tista Brahmaputra LARGE FANS Switching behavior — Kosi River avulsions — – cross entire surface of fan – average rate ~19 yr between switching events Kosi R. avulsions Megafan distribution (n=88) on a Mars-like continent — Megafan distribution in Africa’s basin-swell context. 2.4 Swell margins: single-margin (i.e. larger) basins ― – fan distribution along basin 3.3 2.5 circumferences 1 – large fans at variable altitudes – on swell flanks mainly 2.3 – sometimes on basin floors 2.2 – diamond-shaped fans more frequent 3.2 2.1 – clusters of fans in the T/T pattern 2.7 Rifts: smaller double-margin basins — – most fans and fan clusters within rifted lowlands 3.1 – occasionally on swell crests — 3.5 Salamat fan (Central African Rep.) Modern and paleo-megafans Sudd, Africa’s largest – triangle-shaped fans more frequent Possible megafans Rifts all contain smaller fans Unexpected conclusions — Large fans are probably — • new class of landform feature on the planet — not the freak end point in the alluvial fan continuum • the norm in all filling continental basins -- Unexpected conclusions — Large fans are probably — • new class of landform feature on the planet — not the freak end point in the alluvial fan continuum • the norm in all filling continental basins -- • at the poorly known middling scale the new stuff the middling scale Unexpected conclusions — Large fans are probably — • new class of landform feature on the planet — not the freak end point in the alluvial fan continuum • the norm in all filling continental basins -- • at the poorly known middling scale prediction — successful prediction of location is now being performed for Earth landscapes Megafans on Mars ? ― ! Apollinaris Patera — fan feature with radius of 200 km on the southern slopes (top right quadrant). Fan interpreted as an “alluvial fan” (Ghail and Hutchison, 2003). 7ºS, 173ºE,Viking image ROCKIES Rockies-derived Analog tweak: Common eroded upland-lowland sedimentaries margin — landscape sequence upland sedi- eroded upland-derived ment source “trench” sediments Rocky Pecos Ogallala 1 Mts trench sedimentaries 2 3 R O C K I E S PECOS TRENCH 4 PECOS TRENCH 5 Ogallala Formation, Great Plains (Frye 1971) ROCKIES Rockies-derived Analog tweak: Common eroded upland-lowland sedimentaries margin — landscape sequence upland sedi- eroded upland-derived ment source “trench” sediments Rocky Pecos Ogallala Mts trench sedimentaries R O C K I E S PECOS TRENCH PECOS TRENCH Ogallala Formation, Great Plains (Frye 1971) SCienCe ROI 1A -- stragraphy 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Image of SROI 1 StragraphiC relaonships between — • Units of the Sinus Meridiani sediment suite, espeCially the hemate Ph unit margin • Valley Networks Habitability — • Hemate Ph unit poten8al for habitability • Possible lake sediments (Newsom et al. 2003), with poten8al for habitability Sinus Meridiani—Miyamoto 14 SCienCe ROI 1A -- stragraphy 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars StragraphiC relaonships between — • Units of the Sinus Meridiani sediment Image of SROI 1 suite, espeCially the hemate margin • Valley Networks Habitability — • Hemate Ph unit poten8al for habitability • Possible lake sediments (Newsom et al. 2003), with poten8al for habitability Sinus Meridiani—Miyamoto 15 SCienCe ROI 1B -- stragraphy 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars StragraphiC relaonships between (Contd.) — • Units of the Sinus Meridiani sediment suite, espeCially the hemate margin • Hemate Ph unit poten8al for habitability • Meridiani suite and underlying “MCT” (Mantled Cratered Terrain) • current imaging available— CTX, HiRISE complete Sinus Meridiani—Miyamoto coverage 16 SCienCe ROI 2 – Burns Fm & hemate 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Image of SROI 2 Burns Fm Context — • Field acCess to sites along Opportunity’s Traverse Path • Extend perspeC8ves gained from Opportunity’s operaons (small ellipse) far to the west (large ellipse) – mineralogy – sedimentology – Stragraphy • current imaging available— CTX, HiRISE complete coverage Sinus Meridiani—Miyamoto 17 SCienCe ROI 3 – Miyamoto Crater -- plains stragraphy 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Image of SROI 2 Miyamoto Crater stragraphiC relaonships where the following formaons meet — • Meridiani suite to the east (probably externally derived ) • Intracrater-derived sediments to the west • current imaging available— CTX, HiRISE complete coverage Sinus Meridiani—Miyamoto 18 SCienCe ROI 4 – fluvial features 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars SW Miyamoto Crater fluvial features Image of SROI 2 — • ACCess to well doCumented inverted fluvial Channel, and other smaller Miyamoto Channels • Inverted Channel appears to be a preCise analog for widespread interCrater ridged terrain of the Crater Meridiani units (“ridge-forming unit”) to the northeast • CRISM response — evidence for rim phyllosiliCates, plus water, plus hemate upslope → ideal terrestrial condiEons For microbial acvity • current imaging available—CTX, HiRISE complete coverage Sinus Meridiani—Miyamoto 19 SCienCe ROI 4 – fluvial features 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Image of SROI 2 Miyamoto Crater fluvial features — • 3d dEM • CRISM response Evidence for phyllosilicates, plus water, plus hematite upslope → ideal conditions for microbialSinus Meridiani activity—Miyamoto 20 Large Fluvial Meridiani units — Fan hypothesis “ … any hypothesis to explain their origin must be consistent with : 1. coherent deposition over at least the hundred kilometer scale P 2. exposures of these units over hundreds P of thousands of square kilometers 3. generally planar strata P 4. developed conformally to the (likely) preexisting shallow regional slope P 5. formation beginning toward the end of the Noachian epoch and continuing into P the Hesperian 6. geographical association with both older and younger valley networks P ? 7. lack of evidence that deposition took N/A place in closed basins 8. significant physical compositional differences between layers P — Hynek and Phillips 2008 From: Wilkinson MJ, 2010, Fluvial Sediment Accommodation and Mesoscale Architecture — Some Neglected Perspectives, First Mars Sedimentology Conf., El Paso, TX, April 18-21, 2010. SCienCe RubriC Total 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Site Factors SROI 2 2 SROI 3 SROI 4 SROI RROI 1 RROI 2 EZ SUM SROI 1B 1B SROI SROI 1A 1A SROI RROI(n) Potential for past habitability (7,0) Threshold ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Potential for present habitability/refugia AND/OR ? ? ? ? ? ? ? (0,0) Astrobio Qualifying Potential for organic matter, w/ surface exposure ● ● ● ● ● ● ● (7,0) Threshold Noachian/Hesperian rocks w/ trapped atmospheric gases ? ? ? ? ? ? ? (0,0) Meteorological diversity in space and time (0,0) High likelihood of surface-atmosphere exchange (0,0) Qualifying Amazonian subsurface or high-latitude ice or sediment (0,0) High likelihood of active trace gas sources Atmospheric Science Science Atmospheric (0,0) Range of martian geologic time; datable surfaces ● ● ● ● (4,0) Threshold Evidence of aqueous processes ● ● ● ● ● ● ● (7,0) Potential for interpreting relative ages ● ● ● ● ● ● ● (7,0) Igneous Rocks tied to 1+ provinces or different times ? (0,0) Science Site Criteria Near-surface ice, glacial or permafrost (0,0) Noachian or pre-Noachian bedrock units ● ● (2,0) Key Geoscience Geoscience Qualifying Outcrops with remnant magnetization (0,0) ● Yes Primary, secondary, and basin-forming impact deposits Partial Support ● ● (2,0) ○ or Debated Structural features with regional or global context (5,0) ● ● ● ● ● No Diversity of aeolian sediments and/or landforms ● ● ● ● ● ● (6,0) ? Indeterminate fluvial sediments/struCtures ● ResourCe ROI 1 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Image of RROI 1 Hemate resourCe — • Widespread, near- surface availability in friable host roCk • current imaging available—CTX and HiRISE Sinus Meridiani—Miyamoto 23 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Resource: hematite Adapted from Wiseman et al., 2008, LPSC XXXIX, Abstract 1806 ResourCe ROI 2 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Possible Water Image of RROI 2 resource — • in lowest areas of Miyamoto and “trenCh” between S Highlands and Meridiani sediments • iden8fied