DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Identification and Description of a Silicic Volcaniclastic Layer in Gale Crater, Mars, Using Active Neutron Interrogation

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [2];  [4]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [7]; ORCiD logo [7];  [7]; ORCiD logo [8];  [8]; ORCiD logo [9]; ORCiD logo [10]; ORCiD logo [3]
  1. Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States). School of Earth and Space Exploration
  3. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  4. Western Washington Univ,. Bellingham WA (United States)
  5. Univ. of Copenhagen (Denmark)
  6. California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
  7. Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow (Russian Federation). Space Research Inst.
  8. California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Jet Propulsion Lab. (JPL)
  9. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Inst. of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
  10. Univ. of New Brunswick, Fredericton NB (Canada)

The Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument aboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, has been used to map a stratigraphically-conformable layer of high-SiO2 material in Gale crater. Previous work has shown this material contains tridymite, a high-temperature/low-pressure felsic mineral, interpreted to have a volcanic source rock. We describe several characteristics including orientation, extent, hydration, and geochemistry, consistent with a volcaniclastic material conformably deposited within a lacustrine mudstone succession. Relationships with widely dispersed alteration features and orbital detections of hydrated SiO2 suggest that this high-SiO2 layer extends at least 17 km laterally. Mineralogical abundances previously reported for this high-SiO2 material indicated that hydrous species were restricted to the amorphous (non-crystalline) fraction, which is dominated by SiO2. The low mean bulk hydration of this high-SiO2 layer (1.85 ± 0.13 wt.% water-equivalent hydrogen) is consistent with silicic glass in addition to opal-A and opal- CT. Persistent volcanic glass and tridymite in addition to opal in an ancient sedimentary unit indicates that the conversion to more ordered forms of crystalline SiO2 has not proceeded to completion and that this material has had only limited exposure to water since it originally erupted, despite having been transported in a uviolacustrine system. Our results, including the conformable nature, large areal extent, and presence of vol- canic glass, indicate that this high-SiO2 material is derived from the product of evolved magma on Mars. This is the rst identi cation of a silicic volcaniclastic layer on another planet, and has important implications for magma evolution mechanisms on single-plate planets.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1604038
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-19-26619
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets, Vol. 125, Issue 3; ISSN 2169-9097
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 14 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (69)

Ancient and recent clay formation on Mars as revealed from a global survey of hydrous minerals in crater central peaks: ORIGIN OF CLAYS AT MARTIAN CENTRAL PEAKS journal December 2015
Diverse mineralogies in two troughs of Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars journal September 2011
Growth and form of the mound in Gale Crater, Mars: Slope wind enhanced erosion and transport journal May 2013
Evolved gas analyses of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediment in Gale Crater, Mars: Results of the Curiosity rover's sample analysis at Mars instrument from Yellowknife Bay to the Namib Dune: SAM-Evolved Gas Analysis at Gale Crater journal December 2017
A Global View of Martian Surface Compositions from MGS-TES journal March 2000
NMR, XRD and IR study on microcrystalline opals journal July 1994
In Situ Analysis of Opal in Gale Crater, Mars journal August 2018
Mineralogy of the MSL Curiosity landing site in Gale crater as observed by MRO/CRISM journal July 2014
Silica-rich deposits and hydrated minerals at Gusev Crater, Mars: Vis-NIR spectral characterization and regional mapping journal February 2010
Evidence for plunging river plume deposits in the Pahrump Hills member of the Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars journal February 2019
Chemistry of diagenetic features analyzed by ChemCam at Pahrump Hills, Gale crater, Mars journal January 2017
Hydrated silicate minerals on Mars observed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter CRISM instrument journal July 2008
Mineralogy of an ancient lacustrine mudstone succession from the Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars journal August 2017
A Habitable Fluvio-Lacustrine Environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars journal December 2013
Characterization and petrologic interpretation of olivine-rich basalts at Gusev Crater, Mars: OLIVINE-RICH BASALTS AT GUSEV CRATER, MARS journal January 2006
Mineralogy of the light-toned outcrop at Meridiani Planum as seen by the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer and implications for its formation: MINERALOGY OF OUTCROP AT MERIDIANI PLANUM journal September 2006
Neutron background environment measured by the Mars Science Laboratory's Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument during the first 100 sols: NEUTRON ENVIRONMENT MEASURED BY MSL DAN journal November 2013
Petrology on Mars journal November 2015
Sequence of infilling events in Gale Crater, Mars: Results from morphology, stratigraphy, and mineralogy: SEDIMENTARY INFILLING IN GALE CRATER journal December 2013
emcee : The MCMC Hammer
  • Foreman-Mackey, Daniel; Hogg, David W.; Lang, Dustin
  • Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 125, Issue 925 https://doi.org/10.1086/670067
journal March 2013
Constraints on the origin and evolution of the layered mound in Gale Crater, Mars using Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data journal August 2011
High Cristobalite and High Tridymite in a Middle Eocene Deep-Sea Chert journal August 1975
The Mars Science Laboratory APXS calibration target: Comparison of Martian measurements with the terrestrial calibration journal March 2014
Compositional diversity and stratification of the Martian crust: Inferences from crystallization experiments on the picrobasalt Humphrey from Gusev Crater, Mars journal January 2008
Origin and age of the earliest Martian crust from meteorite NWA 7533 journal November 2013
Neutron scattering lengths and cross sections journal January 1992
Hydrated silica on Mars: Combined analysis with near-infrared and thermal-infrared spectroscopy journal April 2013
Effects of geochemical composition on neutron die-away measurements: Implications for Mars Science Laboratory's Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons experiment
  • Hardgrove, C.; Moersch, J.; Drake, D.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 659, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2011.08.058
journal December 2011
Alteration trends and geochemical source region characteristics preserved in the fluviolacustrine sedimentary record of Gale crater, Mars journal February 2019
Ancient Martian aeolian processes and palaeomorphology reconstructed from the Stimson formation on the lower slope of Aeolis Mons, Gale crater, Mars journal April 2018
Mapping Mars geochemically journal February 2010
Recalibration of the Mars Science Laboratory ChemCam instrument with an expanded geochemical database journal March 2017
Juvenile chemical sediments and the long term persistence of water at the surface of Mars journal September 2009
The origin and evolution of the Peace Vallis fan system that drains to the Curiosity landing area, Gale Crater, Mars : Origin and evolution of Peace Vallis fan journal April 2014
Multiple stages of aqueous alteration along fractures in mudstone and sandstone strata in Gale Crater, Mars journal August 2017
The stratigraphy and evolution of lower Mount Sharp from spectral, morphological, and thermophysical orbital data sets: Stratigraphy and Evolution of Mount Sharp journal September 2016
Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars journal October 2015
The Sedimentary Cycle on Early Mars journal May 2019
Silica deposits in the Nili Patera caldera on the Syrtis Major volcanic complex on Mars journal October 2010
Opaline silica in young deposits on Mars journal January 2008
Assumptions about the presence of natural glasses on Mars journal January 1993
Olivine and Pyroxene Diversity in the Crust of Mars journal March 2005
Unique Meteorite from Early Amazonian Mars: Water-Rich Basaltic Breccia Northwest Africa 7034 journal January 2013
Silicic volcanism on Mars evidenced by tridymite in high-SiO 2 sedimentary rock at Gale crater journal June 2016
Composition of conglomerates analyzed by the Curiosity rover: Implications for Gale Crater crust and sediment sources: CONGLOMERATES COMPOSITION AT GALE CRATER journal March 2016
The ChemCam Instrument Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover: Science Objectives and Mast Unit Description journal July 2012
The Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) Experiment for NASA's 2009 Mars Science Laboratory journal June 2008
Gypsum, bassanite, and anhydrite at Gale crater, Mars journal July 2018
Detection of Silica-Rich Deposits on Mars journal May 2008
High spectral resolution reflectance spectroscopy of minerals journal January 1990
SNC meteorites: Are they Martian rocks? journal January 1984
Ancient plutonic processes on Mars inferred from the detection of possible anorthositic terrains journal November 2013
Prolonged magmatic activity on Mars inferred from the detection of felsic rocks journal November 2013
Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars journal June 2017
Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) Experiment Onboard NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory journal July 2012
Mars surface composition from reflectance spectroscopy: A summary journal January 1979
The ChemCam Instrument Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests journal June 2012
Characteristics, distribution, origin, and significance of opaline silica observed by the Spirit rover in Gusev crater, Mars journal January 2011
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover Mastcam instruments: Preflight and in-flight calibration, validation, and data archiving : MSL/Mastcam Calibration journal July 2017
The Role of Pressure in Producing Compositional Diversity in Intraplate Basaltic Magmas journal November 2006
Evidence for magmatic evolution and diversity on Mars from infrared observations journal July 2005
Water Abundance of Dunes in Gale Crater, Mars From Active Neutron Experiments and Implications for Amorphous Phases journal December 2018
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mast cameras and Descent imager: Investigation and instrument descriptions: MSL Mastcam/MARDI Descriptions journal August 2017
Classification of igneous rocks analyzed by ChemCam at Gale crater, Mars journal May 2017
Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars: Silica Enriching Diagenesis, Gale, Mars journal May 2017
Spectral evidence for weathered basalt as an alternative to andesite in the northern lowlands of Mars journal May 2002
Formation of silica by low-temperature acid alteration of Martian rocks: Physical-chemical constraints journal January 2008
The role of water in opal journal January 1965
Exploring fractionation models for Martian magmas: FRACTIONATION OF MARTIAN PRIMARY MAGMAS journal January 2014

Similar Records

Alteration trends and geochemical source region characteristics preserved in the fluviolacustrine sedimentary record of Gale crater, Mars
Journal Article · 2018 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · OSTI ID:1597375

In Situ Analysis of Opal in Gale Crater, Mars
Journal Article · 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets · OSTI ID:1508550

Basalt-trachybasalt samples in Gale Crater, Mars
Journal Article · 2017 · Meteoritics and Planetary Science · OSTI ID:1412898