Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars

J. Frydenvang; P. J. Gasda; J. A. Hurowitz; J. P. Grotzinger; R. C. Wiens; H. E. Newsom; K. S. Edgett; J. Watkins; J. C. Bridges; S. Maurice; M. R. Fisk; J. R. Johnson; W. Rapin; N. T. Stein; S. M. Clegg; S. P. Schwenzer; C. C. Bedford; P. Edwards; N. Mangold; A. Cousin; R. B. Anderson; V. Payre; D. Vaniman; D. F. Blake; N. L. Lanza; S. Gupta; J. Van Beek; V. Sautter; P. -Y. Meslin; M. Rice; R. Milliken; R. Gellert; L. Thompson; B. C. Clark; D. Y. Sumner; A. A. Fraeman; K. M. Kinch; M. B. Madsen; I. G. Mitrofanov; I. Jun; F. Calef; A. R. Vasavada

doi:10.1002/2017GL073323

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Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars

J. Frydenvang, P. J. Gasda, J. A. Hurowitz, J. P. Grotzinger, R. C. Wiens, H. E. Newsom, K. S. Edgett, J. Watkins, J. C. Bridges, S. Maurice, …

Geophysical research letters, Vol.44(10), pp.4716-4724

05/28/2017

DOI: 10.1002/2017GL073323

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Abstract

Diagenetic silica enrichment in fracture-associated halos that crosscut lacustrine and unconformably overlying aeolian sedimentary bedrock is observed on the lower north slope of Aeolis Mons in Gale crater, Mars. The diagenetic silica enrichment is colocated with detrital silica enrichment observed in the lacustrine bedrock yet extends into a considerably younger, unconformably draping aeolian sandstone, implying that diagenetic silica enrichment postdates the detrital silica enrichment. A causal connection between the detrital and diagenetic silica enrichment implies that water was present in the subsurface of Gale crater long after deposition of the lacustrine sediments and that it mobilized detrital amorphous silica and precipitated it along fractures in the overlying bedrock. Although absolute timing is uncertain, the observed diagenesis likely represents some of the most recent groundwater activity in Gale crater and suggests that the timescale of potential habitability extended considerably beyond the time that the lacustrine sediments of Aeolis Mons were deposited.

Geology

Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Physical Sciences

Science & Technology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars
Creators: J. Frydenvang - University of Copenhagen
P. J. Gasda - Los Alamos National Laboratory
J. A. Hurowitz - Stony Brook University
J. P. Grotzinger - California Institute of Technology
R. C. Wiens - Los Alamos National Laboratory
H. E. Newsom - University of New Mexico
K. S. Edgett - Malin Space Science Systems (United States)
J. Watkins - California Institute of Technology
J. C. Bridges - University of Leicester
S. Maurice - Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
M. R. Fisk - Oregon State University
J. R. Johnson - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
W. Rapin - California Institute of Technology
N. T. Stein - California Institute of Technology
S. M. Clegg - Los Alamos National Laboratory
S. P. Schwenzer - The Open University
C. C. Bedford - The Open University
P. Edwards - University of Leicester
N. Mangold - Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences
A. Cousin - Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
R. B. Anderson - United States Geological Survey
V. Payre - Université de Lorraine
D. Vaniman - Planetary Science Institute
D. F. Blake - Ames Research Center
N. L. Lanza - Los Alamos National Laboratory
S. Gupta - Imperial College London
J. Van Beek - Malin Space Science Systems (United States)
V. Sautter - Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
P. -Y. Meslin - Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
M. Rice - Western Washington University
R. Milliken - Brown University
R. Gellert - University of Guelph
L. Thompson - University of New Brunswick
B. C. Clark - Space Science Institute
D. Y. Sumner - Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of California; Davis California USA
A. A. Fraeman - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
K. M. Kinch - University of Copenhagen
M. B. Madsen - University of Copenhagen
I. G. Mitrofanov - Space Research Institute
I. Jun - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
F. Calef - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
A. R. Vasavada - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.44(10), pp.4716-4724
DOI: 10.1002/2017GL073323
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: Amer Geophysical Union
Number of pages: 9
Grant note: Villum Foundation; Villum Fonden 4002-00292 / Danish Council for Independent Research; Det Frie Forskningsrad (DFF) 1653314 / STFC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) ST/N50421X/1 / STFC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) ST/P002129/1; ST/P002110/1; ST/J005169/1; ST/N000579/1 / UK Space Agency 1653314; ST/J005193/1 / Science and Technology Facilities Council; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) MSL NASA MSL ST/P002110/1 / UKSA
Language: English
Date published: 05/28/2017
Academic Unit: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Record Identifier: 9984294925002771

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