The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the...
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ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:57144 2023-05-15T18:45:42+02:00 The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars Bristow, Thomas F. Grotzinger, John P. Ehlmann, Bethany L. 2015-04 application/pdf application/zip https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/1/824.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/2/AM-15-45077.zip https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150501-103431979 en eng Mineralogical Society of America https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/1/824.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/2/AM-15-45077.zip Bristow, Thomas F. and Grotzinger, John P. and Ehlmann, Bethany L. (2015) The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. American Mineralogist, 100 (4). pp. 824-836. ISSN 0003-004X. PMCID PMC5548523. doi:10.2138/am-2015-5077CCBYNCND. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150501-103431979 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150501-103431979> cc_by_nc_nd CC-BY-NC-ND Article PeerReviewed 2015 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2015-5077CCBYNCND 2022-06-09T17:52:30Z The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H_2O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 Å, but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 Å. Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences. The relatively low abundances of olivine and enriched levels of magnetite in the Sheepbed mudstone, when compared with regional basalt compositions derived from orbital data, suggest that clay minerals formed with magnetite in situ via aqueous alteration of olivine. Mass-balance calculations are permissive of such a reaction. Moreover, the Sheepbed mudstone mineral assemblage is consistent with minimal inputs of detrital clay minerals from the crater walls and rim. Early diagenetic fabrics suggest clay mineral formation prior to lithification. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the production of authigenic magnetite and saponite at surficial temperatures requires a moderate supply of oxidants, allowing circum-neutral pH. The kinetics of olivine alteration suggest the presence of fluids for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Mineralogical evidence of ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Yellowknife Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay ENVELOPE(-114.336,-114.336,62.367,62.367) American Mineralogist 100 4 824 836 |
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Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftcaltechauth |
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English |
description |
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H_2O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 Å, but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 Å. Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences. The relatively low abundances of olivine and enriched levels of magnetite in the Sheepbed mudstone, when compared with regional basalt compositions derived from orbital data, suggest that clay minerals formed with magnetite in situ via aqueous alteration of olivine. Mass-balance calculations are permissive of such a reaction. Moreover, the Sheepbed mudstone mineral assemblage is consistent with minimal inputs of detrital clay minerals from the crater walls and rim. Early diagenetic fabrics suggest clay mineral formation prior to lithification. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the production of authigenic magnetite and saponite at surficial temperatures requires a moderate supply of oxidants, allowing circum-neutral pH. The kinetics of olivine alteration suggest the presence of fluids for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Mineralogical evidence of ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bristow, Thomas F. Grotzinger, John P. Ehlmann, Bethany L. |
spellingShingle |
Bristow, Thomas F. Grotzinger, John P. Ehlmann, Bethany L. The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars |
author_facet |
Bristow, Thomas F. Grotzinger, John P. Ehlmann, Bethany L. |
author_sort |
Bristow, Thomas F. |
title |
The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars |
title_short |
The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars |
title_full |
The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars |
title_fullStr |
The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars |
title_full_unstemmed |
The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars |
title_sort |
origin and implications of clay minerals from yellowknife bay, gale crater, mars |
publisher |
Mineralogical Society of America |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/1/824.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/2/AM-15-45077.zip https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150501-103431979 |
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ENVELOPE(-114.336,-114.336,62.367,62.367) |
geographic |
Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay |
geographic_facet |
Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay |
genre |
Yellowknife |
genre_facet |
Yellowknife |
op_relation |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/1/824.full.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/57144/2/AM-15-45077.zip Bristow, Thomas F. and Grotzinger, John P. and Ehlmann, Bethany L. (2015) The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. American Mineralogist, 100 (4). pp. 824-836. ISSN 0003-004X. PMCID PMC5548523. doi:10.2138/am-2015-5077CCBYNCND. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150501-103431979 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150501-103431979> |
op_rights |
cc_by_nc_nd |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC-ND |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2015-5077CCBYNCND |
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American Mineralogist |
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100 |
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4 |
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824 |
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836 |
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