NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has been exploring approximately 22 km diameter Endeavour crater since 2011. Its rim segments predate the Hesperian-age Burns formation and expose Noachian-age material, which is associated with orbital Fe3+-Mg-rich clay mineral observations [1,2]. Moving to an orders of magnitude smaller instrumental field of view on the ground, the clay minerals were challenging to pinpoint on the basis of geochemical data because they appear to be the result of near-isochemical weathering of the local bedrock [3,4]. However, the APXS revealed a more complex mineral story as fracture fills and so-called red zones appear to contain more Al-rich clay minerals [5,6], which had not been observed from orbit. These observations are important to constrain clay mineral formation processes. More detail will be added as Opportunity is heading into her 10th extended mission, during which she will investigate Noachian bedrock that predates Endeavour crater, study sedimentary rocks inside Endeavour crater, and explore a fluid-carved gully. ESA's ExoMars rover will land on Noachian-age Oxia Planum where abundant Fe3+-Mg-rich clay minerals have been observed from orbit, but the story will undoubtedly become more complex once seen from the ground.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Ground Truthing Orbital Clay Mineral Observations with the APXS Onboard Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity


    Contributors:
    Schroeder, C. (author) / Gellert, R. (author) / VanBommel, S. (author) / Clark, B. C. (author) / Ming, D. W. (author) / Mittlefehldt, D. S. (author) / Yen, A. S. (author)

    Conference:

    Crustal Differentiation on Mars: A new View of the Red Planet Forty Years after Viking ; 2016 ; London, United Kingdom


    Publication date :

    2016-11-11


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English