Desiccation cracks provide evidence of lake drying on Mars, Sutton Island member, Murray formation, Gale Crater
Abstract
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover data are used to describe the morphology of desiccation cracks observed in ancient lacustrine strata at Gale crater, Mars, and to interpret their paleoenvironmental setting. The desiccation cracks indicate subaerial exposure of lacustrine facies in the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation. In association with ripple cross-stratification and possible eolian cross-bedding, these facies indicate a transition from longer-lived perennial lakes recorded by older strata to younger lakes characterized by intermittent exposure. The transition from perennial to episodically exposed lacustrine environments provides evidence for local to regional climate change that can help constrain Mars climate models.
- Authors:
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- California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
- Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States)
- CNRS/Univ. Nantes, Nantes (France)
- Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
- Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Univ. of Western Ontario, London, ON (Canada)
- Univ. of New Brunswick, NB (Canada)
- Stony Brook Univ., Stony Brook, NY (United States)
- Univ. de Toulouse, Toulouse (France)
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ (United States)
- Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
- Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
- The Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- Imperial College London, London (United Kingdom)
- Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, ON (Canada)
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Université de Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1508553
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-18-28853
Journal ID: ISSN 0091-7613
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89233218CNA000001
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 46; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 0091-7613
- Publisher:
- Geological Society of America
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; Planetary Sciences
Citation Formats
Stein, N., Grotzinger, J. P., Schieber, J., Mangold, N., Hallet, B., Newsom, H., Stack, K. M., Berger, J. A., Thompson, Lucy, Siebach, K. L., Cousin, A., Le Mouélic, Stephane, Minitti, M., Sumner, D. Y., Fedo, C., House, C. H., Gupta, S., Vasavada, A. R., Gellert, R., Wiens, Roger Craig, Frydenvang, J., Forni, O., Meslin, P. Y., Payré, V., and Dehouck, E. Desiccation cracks provide evidence of lake drying on Mars, Sutton Island member, Murray formation, Gale Crater. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1130/G40005.1.
Stein, N., Grotzinger, J. P., Schieber, J., Mangold, N., Hallet, B., Newsom, H., Stack, K. M., Berger, J. A., Thompson, Lucy, Siebach, K. L., Cousin, A., Le Mouélic, Stephane, Minitti, M., Sumner, D. Y., Fedo, C., House, C. H., Gupta, S., Vasavada, A. R., Gellert, R., Wiens, Roger Craig, Frydenvang, J., Forni, O., Meslin, P. Y., Payré, V., & Dehouck, E. Desiccation cracks provide evidence of lake drying on Mars, Sutton Island member, Murray formation, Gale Crater. United States. https://doi.org/10.1130/G40005.1
Stein, N., Grotzinger, J. P., Schieber, J., Mangold, N., Hallet, B., Newsom, H., Stack, K. M., Berger, J. A., Thompson, Lucy, Siebach, K. L., Cousin, A., Le Mouélic, Stephane, Minitti, M., Sumner, D. Y., Fedo, C., House, C. H., Gupta, S., Vasavada, A. R., Gellert, R., Wiens, Roger Craig, Frydenvang, J., Forni, O., Meslin, P. Y., Payré, V., and Dehouck, E. Mon .
"Desiccation cracks provide evidence of lake drying on Mars, Sutton Island member, Murray formation, Gale Crater". United States. https://doi.org/10.1130/G40005.1. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1508553.
@article{osti_1508553,
title = {Desiccation cracks provide evidence of lake drying on Mars, Sutton Island member, Murray formation, Gale Crater},
author = {Stein, N. and Grotzinger, J. P. and Schieber, J. and Mangold, N. and Hallet, B. and Newsom, H. and Stack, K. M. and Berger, J. A. and Thompson, Lucy and Siebach, K. L. and Cousin, A. and Le Mouélic, Stephane and Minitti, M. and Sumner, D. Y. and Fedo, C. and House, C. H. and Gupta, S. and Vasavada, A. R. and Gellert, R. and Wiens, Roger Craig and Frydenvang, J. and Forni, O. and Meslin, P. Y. and Payré, V. and Dehouck, E.},
abstractNote = {Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover data are used to describe the morphology of desiccation cracks observed in ancient lacustrine strata at Gale crater, Mars, and to interpret their paleoenvironmental setting. The desiccation cracks indicate subaerial exposure of lacustrine facies in the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation. In association with ripple cross-stratification and possible eolian cross-bedding, these facies indicate a transition from longer-lived perennial lakes recorded by older strata to younger lakes characterized by intermittent exposure. The transition from perennial to episodically exposed lacustrine environments provides evidence for local to regional climate change that can help constrain Mars climate models.},
doi = {10.1130/G40005.1},
journal = {Geology},
number = 6,
volume = 46,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
Web of Science
Figures / Tables:
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Geologic Constraints on Early Mars Climate
journal, January 2019
- Kite, Edwin S.
- Space Science Reviews, Vol. 215, Issue 1
High Survivability of Micrometeorites on Mars: Sites With Enhanced Availability of Limiting Nutrients
journal, July 2019
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- Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, Vol. 124, Issue 7
Extensive Polygonal Fracture Network in Siccar Point group Strata: Fracture Mechanisms and Implications for Fluid Circulation in Gale Crater, Mars
journal, October 2019
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- Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, Vol. 124, Issue 10
An interval of high salinity in ancient Gale crater lake on Mars
journal, October 2019
- Rapin, W.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Dromart, G.
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Ichnofossils, Cracks or Crystals? A Test for Biogenicity of Stick-Like Structures from Vera Rubin Ridge, Mars
journal, January 2020
- Baucon, Andrea; Neto De Carvalho, Carlos; Felletti, Fabrizio
- Geosciences, Vol. 10, Issue 2
Figures / Tables found in this record: