Mars Science Laboratory Observations of Chloride Salts in Gale Crater, Mars

Thomas, N. H.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Meslin, P. ‐Y.; Rapin, W.; Anderson, D. E.; Rivera‐Hernández, F.; Forni, O.; Schröder, S.; Cousin, A.; Mangold, N.; Gellert, R.; Gasnault, O.; Wiens, R. C.

doi:10.1029/2019GL082764

Title: Mars Science Laboratory Observations of Chloride Salts in Gale Crater, Mars

Journal Article · Fri Aug 23 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL082764· OSTI ID:1597376

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California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Jet Propulsion Lab. (JPL)
Univ. de Toulouse (France)
Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (United States)
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin (Germany)
Univ. de Nantes (France)
Univ. of Guleph, Ontario (Canada)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is traversing a sequence of stratified sedimentary rocks in Gale crater that contain varied eolian, fluviodeltaic, and lake deposits, with phyllosilicates, iron oxides, and sulfate salts. Here, we report the chloride salt distribution along the rover traverse. Chlorine is detected at low levels (<3 wt.%) in soil and rock targets with multiple MSL instruments. Isolated fine-scale observations of high chlorine (up to ≥15 wt.% Cl), detected using the ChemCam instrument, are associated with elevated Na₂O and interpreted as halite grains or cements in bedrock. Halite is also interpreted at the margins of veins and in nodular, altered textures. We have not detected halite in obvious evaporitic layers. Instead, its scattered distribution indicates that chlorides emplaced earlier in particular members of the Murray formation were remobilized and reprecipitated by later groundwaters within Murray formation mudstones and in diagenetic veins and nodules.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001; DGE‐1144469

OSTI ID:: 1597376

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-19-32328

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 19; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 36 works

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Title: Mars Science Laboratory Observations of Chloride Salts in Gale Crater, Mars

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