Ancient Martian aeolian processes and palaeomorphology reconstructed from the Stimson formation on the lower slope of Aeolis Mons, Gale crater, Mars

被引:160
作者
Banham, Steven G. [1 ]
Gupta, Sanjeev [1 ]
Rubin, David M. [2 ]
Watkins, Jessica A. [3 ]
Sumner, Dawn Y. [4 ]
Edgett, Kenneth S. [5 ]
Grotzinger, John P. [3 ]
Lewis, Kevin W. [6 ]
Edgar, Lauren A. [7 ]
Stack-Morgan, Kathryn M. [8 ]
Barnes, Robert [1 ]
Bell, James F., III [9 ]
Day, Mackenzie D. [10 ]
Ewing, Ryan C. [11 ]
Lapotre, Mathieu G. A. [12 ]
Stein, Nathan T. [3 ]
Rivera-Hernandez, Frances [4 ]
Vasavada, Ashwin R. [8 ]
机构
[1] Imperial Coll, Dept Earth Sci & Engn, London SW7 2AZ, England
[2] Univ Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
[3] CALTECH, Div Geol & Planetary Sci, 1200 East Calif Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
[4] Univ Calif Davis, Earth & Planetary Sci, Davis, CA 95616 USA
[5] Malin Space Sci Syst, POB 910148, San Diego, CA 92191 USA
[6] Johns Hopkins Univ, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, 301 Olin Hall,3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
[7] US Geol Survey, Astrogeol Sci Ctr, 2255 N Gemini Dr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA
[8] CALTECH, Jet Prop Lab, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109 USA
[9] Arizona State Univ, Sch Earth & Space Explorat, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
[10] Univ Washington, Dept Earth & Space Sci, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
[11] Texas A&M Univ, Dept Geol & Geophys, College Stn, TX 77843 USA
[12] Harvard Univ, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, 20 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
关键词
Aeolian; Curiosity rover; dune field; Gale crater; Mars; Mars Science Laboratory; remote sensing; Stimson; SANDS DUNE FIELD; BOUNDING SURFACES; MERIDIANI-PLANUM; STRATIGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE; INTERDUNE DEPOSITS; SCIENCE; WIND; EVOLUTION; ORIGIN; SEDIMENTOLOGY;
D O I
10.1111/sed.12469
中图分类号
P5 [地质学];
学科分类号
0709 ; 081803 ;
摘要
Reconstruction of the palaeoenvironmental context of Martian sedimentary rocks is central to studies of ancient Martian habitability and regional palaeoclimate history. This paper reports the analysis of a distinct aeolian deposit preserved in Gale crater, Mars, and evaluates its palaeomorphology, the processes responsible for its deposition, and its implications for Gale crater geological history and regional palaeoclimate. Whilst exploring the sedimentary succession cropping out on the northern flank of Aeolis Mons, Gale crater, the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity encountered a decametre-thick sandstone succession, named the Stimson formation, unconformably overlying lacustrine deposits of the Murray formation. The sandstone contains sand grains characterized by high roundness and sphericity, and cross-bedding on the order of 1m in thickness, separated by sub-horizontal bounding surfaces traceable for tens of metres across outcrops. The cross-beds are composed of uniform thickness cross-laminations interpreted as wind-ripple strata. Cross-sets are separated by sub-horizontal bounding surfaces traceable for tens of metres across outcrops that are interpreted as dune migration surfaces. Grain characteristics and presence of wind-ripple strata indicate deposition of the Stimson formation by aeolian processes. The absence of features characteristic of damp or wet aeolian sediment accumulation indicate deposition in a dry aeolian system. Reconstruction of the palaeogeomorphology suggests that the Stimson dune field was composed largely of simple sinuous crescentic dunes with a height of ca 10m, and wavelengths of ca 150m, with local development of complex dunes. Analysis of cross-strata dip azimuths indicates that the general dune migration direction and hence net sediment transport was towards the north-east. The juxtaposition of a dry aeolian system unconformably above the lacustrine Murray formation represents starkly contrasting palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions. Stratigraphic relationships indicate that this transition records a significant break in time, with the Stimson formation being deposited after the Murray formation and stratigraphically higher Mount Sharp group rocks had been buried, lithified and subsequently eroded.
引用
收藏
页码:993 / 1042
页数:50
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