Mineralogy of a Mudstone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Newsom, H. E., Downs, R. T., Maurice, S., Sarrazin, P., Yen, A. S., Morookian, J. M., Farmer, J. D., Stack, K., Milliken, R. E., Ehlmann, B. L., Sumner, D. Y., Berger, G., Crisp, J. A., Hurowitz, J. A., Anderson, R., Des Marais, D. J., Stolper, E. M., Edgett, K. S., Gupta, S., Spanovich, N., Team, MSL Sci, Fabre, Cécile, Vaniman, D. T., Bish, D. L., Ming, D. W., Bristow, T. F., Morris, R. V., Blake, D. F., Chipera, S. J., Morrison, S. M., Treiman, A. H., Rampe, E. B., Rice, M., Achilles, C. N., Grotzinger, J. P., McLennan, S. M., Williams, J., Bell, J. F.
• Other Authors: Institute of Meteoritics Albuquerque (IOM), The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, Department of Geosciences Tucson, University of Arizona, Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (IRAP), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), SETI Institute, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE), Arizona State University Tempe (ASU), Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences Pasadena, California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Department of Geological Sciences Providence, Brown University, Department of Earth and Planetary Science UC Berkeley (EPS), University of California Berkeley, University of California-University of California, Department of Geosciences Stony Brook, Stony Brook University SUNY (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY)-State University of New York (SUNY), NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Department of Earth Science and Technology Imperial College London, Imperial College London, GeoRessources, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre de recherches sur la géologie des matières premières minérales et énergétiques (CREGU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS), Planetary Science Institute Tucson (PSI), Department of Geological Sciences Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana University System-Indiana University System, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES), NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), NASA-NASA, Lunar and Planetary Institute Houston (LPI)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences; Yellowknife; Yellowknife Bay
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01303672; https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1243480

International audience Sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay (Gale crater) on Mars include mudstone sampled by the Curiosity rover. The samples, John Klein and Cumberland, contain detrital basaltic minerals, calcium sulfates, iron oxide or hydroxides, iron sulfides, amorphous material, and trioctahedral smectites. The John Klein smectite has basal spacing of similar to 10 angstroms, indicating little interlayer hydration. The Cumberland smectite has basal spacing at both similar to 13.2 and similar to 10 angstroms. The larger spacing suggests a partially chloritized interlayer or interlayer magnesium or calcium facilitating H2O retention. Basaltic minerals in the mudstone are similar to those in nearby eolian deposits. However, the mudstone has far less Fe-forsterite, possibly lost with formation of smectite plus magnetite. Late Noachian/Early Hesperian or younger age indicates that clay mineral formation on Mars extended beyond Noachian time.