X-ray Diffraction Results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater
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- D. L. Bish
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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- D. F. Blake
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
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- D. T. Vaniman
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.
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- S. J. Chipera
- Chesapeake Energy, Oklahoma City, OK 73154, USA.
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- R. V. Morris
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
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- D. W. Ming
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
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- A. H. Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
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- P. Sarrazin
- In-Xitu, Campbell, CA 95008, USA.
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- S. M. Morrison
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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- R. T. Downs
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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- C. N. Achilles
- Engineering and Science Contract Group/United Technologies Corporation Aerospace Systems, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
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- A. S. Yen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
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- T. F. Bristow
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
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- J. A. Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
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- J. M. Morookian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
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- J. D. Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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- E. B. Rampe
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
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- E. M. Stolper
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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- N. Spanovich
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
Description
<jats:p> The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity scooped samples of soil from the Rocknest aeolian bedform in Gale crater. Analysis of the soil with the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) x-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument revealed plagioclase (~An57), forsteritic olivine (~Fo62), augite, and pigeonite, with minor K-feldspar, magnetite, quartz, anhydrite, hematite, and ilmenite. The minor phases are present at, or near, detection limits. The soil also contains 27 ± 14 weight percent x-ray amorphous material, likely containing multiple Fe <jats:sup>3+</jats:sup> - and volatile-bearing phases, including possibly a substance resembling hisingerite. The crystalline component is similar to the normative mineralogy of certain basaltic rocks from Gusev crater on Mars and of martian basaltic meteorites. The amorphous component is similar to that found on Earth in places such as soils on the Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii. </jats:p>
Journal
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- Science
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Science 341 (6153), 2013-09-27
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
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Details 詳細情報について
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- CRID
- 1360017288091180672
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- ISSN
- 10959203
- 00368075
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- Data Source
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- Crossref
