Cracks and fins in sulfate sand: Evidence for recent mineral-atmospheric water cycling in Meridiani Planum outcrops?

Geology

Volumn 34, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 229-232

  Chavdarian, Gregory V ^a   Sumner, Dawn Y ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

Cracks; Desiccation; Differential weathering; Eolian environment; Mars; Sulfates

Indexed keywords

CEMENTATION; MINERAL-ATMOSPHERIC WATER CYCLING; SULFATE SAND; DESICCATION; DIFFERENTIAL WEATHERING; EOLIAN ENVIRONMENT; MARS; SULFATES;

CRACKS; DEHYDRATION; EROSION; GYPSUM; MINERALOGY; SAND; WEATHERING; CEMENTING (SHAFTS); FINS (HEAT EXCHANGE); STORMS; SULFUR COMPOUNDS;

GEOLOGY; SAND;

MARS; NATURAL ANALOG; PLANETARY LANDFORM; CEMENTATION; CONTRACTION; DEHYDRATION; DESICCATION; DUNE; GYPSUM; MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE; MONUMENT; OUTCROP; SAND; SULFATE; WATER; WEATHERING;

EMMELICHTHYS STRUHSAKERI; LAMIINAE; XIPHOPHORUS MACULATUS;

NEW MEXICO; UNITED STATES; WHITE SANDS;

EID: 33645706994     PISSN: 00917613     EISSN: 00917613     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1130/G22101.1     Document Type: Article

References (20)

1. Arvidson, R.E., Poulet, F., Bibring, J.P., Wolff, M., Gendrin, A., Morris, R.V., Freeman, J.J., Langevin, Y., Mangold, N., and Bellucci, G., 2005, Spectral reflectance and morphologic correlations in eastern Terra Meridiani, Mars: Science, v. 307, p. 1591-1594.
2. Bell, J.F., and 39 others, 2004, Pancam multispectral imaging results from the Opportunity Rover at Meridiani Planum: Science, v. 306, p. 1703-1709.
3. Chavdarian, G.V., 2005, Cracks and razorbacks: Pieces of Mars at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico [senior thesis]: Davis, University of California-Davis, 45 p., http://geology.ucdavis.edu/~sumner/research/ chavdarian.html.
4. Christensen, P.R., and Ruff, S.W., 2004, Formation of the hematite-bearing unit in Meridiani Planum: Evidence for deposition in standing water: Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets, v. 109, p. E8.
5. Christensen, P.R., and 26 others, 2004, Mineralogy at Meridiani Planum from the Mini-TES experiment on the Opportunity Rover: Science, v. 306, p. 1733-1739.
6. Clark, B.C., and 23 others, 2005, Chemistry and mineralogy of outcrops at Meridiani Planum: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 240, p. 73-94.
7. Freyer, D., and Voigt, W., 2003, Crystallization and phase stability of CaSO4 and CaSO4-based salts: Monatshefte fur Chemie, v. 134, p. 693-719.
8. Gendrin, A., Mangold, N., Bibring, J.P., Langevin, Y., Gondet, B., Poulet, F., Bonello, G., Quantin, C., Mustard, J., Arvidson, R., and LeMouelic, S., 2005, Sulfates in martian layered terrains: The OMEGA/ Mars Express view: Science, v. 307, p. 1587-1591.
9. Grotzinger, J.P., Arvidson, R.E., Bell, J.F., III, Calvin, W., Clark, B.C., Fike, D.A., Golombek, M., Greeley, R., Haldemann, A., Herkenhoff, K.E., Jolliff, B.L., Knoll, A.H., Malin, M., McLennan, S.M., Parker, T., Soderblom, L., Sohl-Dickstein, J.N., Squyres, S.W., Tosca, N.J., and Watters, W.A., 2005, Stratigraphy and sedimentology of a dry to wet eolian depositional system, Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 240, p. 11-72.
10. Hogenboom, D.L., Kargel, J.S., Ganasan, J.P., and Lee, L., 1995, Magnesium sulfate-water to 400 Mpa using a novel piezometer - Densities, phase-equilibria, and planetological implications: Icarus, v. 115, p. 258-277.
11. Hynek, B.M., 2004, Implications for hydrologic processes on Mars from extensive bedrock outcrops throughout Terra Meridiani: Nature, v. 431, p. 156-159.
12. Jagla, E.A., 2002, Stable propagation of an ordered array of cracks during directional drying: Physical Review E, v. 65, doi: 10.1103/ PhysRevE.65.046147.
13. Klingelhofer, G., Morris, R.V., Bernhardt, B., Schroder, C., Rodionov, D.S., de Souza, P.A., Yen, A., Gellert, R., Evlanov, E.N., Zubkov, B., Foh, J., Bonnes, U., Kankeleit, E., Gutlich, P., Ming, D.W., Renz, F., Wdowiak, T., Squyres, S.W., and Arvidson, R.E., 2004, Jarosite and hematite at Meridiani Planum from Opportunity's Mossbauer spectrometer: Science, v. 306, p. 1740-1745.
14. Langford, R.P., 2003, The Holocene history of the White Sands dune field and influences on eolian deflation and playa lakes: Quaternary International, v. 104, p. 31-39.
15. McKee, E.D., 1966, Structures of dunes at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico (and a comparison with structures of dunes from other selected areas): Sedimentology, v. 7, p. 1-69.
16. McLennan, S.M., and 31 others, 2005, Provenance and diagenesis of the evaporite-bearing Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 240, p. 95-121.
17. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2004, Mars Rovers spot water-clue mineral, frost, clouds, December 13, 2004: http:// origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20041213a.html.
18. Schenk, C.J., and Fryberger, S.G., 1988, Early diagenesis of eolian dune and interdune sands at White Sands, New Mexico: Sedimentary Geology, v. 55, p. 109-120.
19. Squyres, S.W., and Knoll, A.H., 2005, Sedimentary rocks at Meridiani Planum: Origin, diagenesis, and implications for life on Mars: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 240, p. 1-10.
20. Squyres, S.W., Grotzinger, J.P., Arvidson, R.E., Bell, J.F., Calvin, W., Christensen, P.R., Clark, B.C., Crisp, J.A., Farrand, W.H., Herkenhoff, K.E., Johnson, J.R., Klingelhofer, G., Knoll, A.H., McLennan, S.M., McSween, H.Y., Morris, R.V., Rice, J.W., Rieder, R., and Soderblom, L.A., 2004, In situ evidence for an ancient aqueous environment at Meridiani Planum, Mars: Science, v. 306, p. 1709-1714.