Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars

J. P. Grotzinger; S. Gupta; M. C. Malin; D. M. Rubin; J. Schieber; K. Siebach; D. Y. Sumner; K. M. Stack; A. R. Vasavada; R. E. Arvidson; F. Calef; L. Edgar; W. F. Fischer; J. A. Grant; J. Griffes; L. C. Kah; M. P. Lamb; K. W. Lewis; N. Mangold; M. E. Minitti; M. Palucis; M. Rice; R. M.E. Williams; R. A. Yingst; D. Blake; D. Blaney; P. Conrad; J. Crisp; W. E. Dietrich; G. Dromart; K. S. Edgett; R. C. Ewing; R. Gellert; J. A. Hurowitz; G. Kocurek; P. Mahaffy; M. J. McBride; S. M. McLennan; M. Mischna; D. Ming; R. Milliken; H. Newsom; D. Oehler; T. J. Parker; D. Vaniman; R. C. Wiens; S. A. Wilson

doi:10.1126/science.aac7575

Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars

J. P. Grotzinger
, S. Gupta
, M. C. Malin
, D. M. Rubin
, J. Schieber
, K. Siebach
, D. Y. Sumner
, K. M. Stack
, A. R. Vasavada
, R. E. Arvidson
, F. Calef
, L. Edgar
, W. F. Fischer
, J. A. Grant
, J. Griffes
, L. C. Kah
, M. P. Lamb
, K. W. Lewis
, N. Mangold
, M. E. Minitti

M. Palucis, M. Rice, R. M.E. Williams, R. A. Yingst, D. Blake, D. Blaney, P. Conrad, J. Crisp, W. E. Dietrich, G. Dromart, K. S. Edgett, R. C. Ewing, R. Gellert, J. A. Hurowitz, G. Kocurek, P. Mahaffy, M. J. McBride, S. M. McLennan, M. Mischna, D. Ming, R. Milliken, H. Newsom, D. Oehler, T. J. Parker, D. Vaniman, R. C. Wiens, S. A. Wilson

Geosciences

California Institute of Technology
Imperial College London
Malin Space Science Systems
University of California at Santa Cruz
Indiana University Bloomington
University of California at Davis
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Washington University St. Louis
United States Geological Survey
Smithsonian Institution
University of Tennessee
Johns Hopkins University
Nantes Université
Planetary Science Institute
Western Washington University
NASA Ames Research Center
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
University of California at Berkeley
Université de Lyon
Texas A&M University
University of Guelph
University of Texas at Austin
Stony Brook University
NASA Johnson Space Center
Brown University
University of New Mexico
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

587 Scopus citations

Abstract

The landforms of northern Gale crater on Mars expose thick sequences of sedimentary rocks. Based on images obtained by the Curiosity rover, we interpret these outcrops as evidence for past fluvial, deltaic, and lacustrine environments. Degradation of the crater wall and rim probably supplied these sediments, which advanced inward from the wall, infilling both the crater and an internal lake basin to a thickness of at least 75 meters. This intracrater lake system probably existed intermittently for thousands to millions of years, implying a relatively wet climate that supplied moisture to the crater rim and transported sediment via streams into the lake basin. The deposits in Gale crater were then exhumed, probably by wind-driven erosion, creating Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp).

Original language	English
Article number	aac7575
Journal	Science
Volume	350
Issue number	6257
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac7575
State	Published - Oct 9 2015

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Grotzinger, J. P., Gupta, S., Malin, M. C., Rubin, D. M., Schieber, J., Siebach, K., Sumner, D. Y., Stack, K. M., Vasavada, A. R., Arvidson, R. E., Calef, F., Edgar, L., Fischer, W. F., Grant, J. A., Griffes, J., Kah, L. C., Lamb, M. P., Lewis, K. W., Mangold, N., ... Wilson, S. A. (2015). Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars. Science, 350(6257), Article aac7575. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac7575

@article{8dda217de63346d99160b1f749d73139,

title = "Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars",

abstract = "The landforms of northern Gale crater on Mars expose thick sequences of sedimentary rocks. Based on images obtained by the Curiosity rover, we interpret these outcrops as evidence for past fluvial, deltaic, and lacustrine environments. Degradation of the crater wall and rim probably supplied these sediments, which advanced inward from the wall, infilling both the crater and an internal lake basin to a thickness of at least 75 meters. This intracrater lake system probably existed intermittently for thousands to millions of years, implying a relatively wet climate that supplied moisture to the crater rim and transported sediment via streams into the lake basin. The deposits in Gale crater were then exhumed, probably by wind-driven erosion, creating Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp).",

author = "Grotzinger, \{J. P.\} and S. Gupta and Malin, \{M. C.\} and Rubin, \{D. M.\} and J. Schieber and K. Siebach and Sumner, \{D. Y.\} and Stack, \{K. M.\} and Vasavada, \{A. R.\} and Arvidson, \{R. E.\} and F. Calef and L. Edgar and Fischer, \{W. F.\} and Grant, \{J. A.\} and J. Griffes and Kah, \{L. C.\} and Lamb, \{M. P.\} and Lewis, \{K. W.\} and N. Mangold and Minitti, \{M. E.\} and M. Palucis and M. Rice and Williams, \{R. M.E.\} and Yingst, \{R. A.\} and D. Blake and D. Blaney and P. Conrad and J. Crisp and Dietrich, \{W. E.\} and G. Dromart and Edgett, \{K. S.\} and Ewing, \{R. C.\} and R. Gellert and Hurowitz, \{J. A.\} and G. Kocurek and P. Mahaffy and McBride, \{M. J.\} and McLennan, \{S. M.\} and M. Mischna and D. Ming and R. Milliken and H. Newsom and D. Oehler and Parker, \{T. J.\} and D. Vaniman and Wiens, \{R. C.\} and Wilson, \{S. A.\}",

year = "2015",

month = oct,

day = "9",

doi = "10.1126/science.aac7575",

language = "English",

volume = "350",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

number = "6257",

}

Grotzinger, JP, Gupta, S, Malin, MC, Rubin, DM, Schieber, J, Siebach, K, Sumner, DY, Stack, KM, Vasavada, AR, Arvidson, RE, Calef, F, Edgar, L, Fischer, WF, Grant, JA, Griffes, J, Kah, LC, Lamb, MP, Lewis, KW, Mangold, N, Minitti, ME, Palucis, M, Rice, M, Williams, RME, Yingst, RA, Blake, D, Blaney, D, Conrad, P, Crisp, J, Dietrich, WE, Dromart, G, Edgett, KS, Ewing, RC, Gellert, R, Hurowitz, JA, Kocurek, G, Mahaffy, P, McBride, MJ, McLennan, SM, Mischna, M, Ming, D, Milliken, R, Newsom, H, Oehler, D, Parker, TJ, Vaniman, D, Wiens, RC & Wilson, SA 2015, 'Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars', Science, vol. 350, no. 6257, aac7575. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac7575

TY - JOUR

T1 - Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars

AU - Grotzinger, J. P.

AU - Gupta, S.

AU - Malin, M. C.

AU - Rubin, D. M.

AU - Schieber, J.

AU - Siebach, K.

AU - Sumner, D. Y.

AU - Stack, K. M.

AU - Vasavada, A. R.

AU - Arvidson, R. E.

AU - Calef, F.

AU - Edgar, L.

AU - Fischer, W. F.

AU - Grant, J. A.

AU - Griffes, J.

AU - Kah, L. C.

AU - Lamb, M. P.

AU - Lewis, K. W.

AU - Mangold, N.

AU - Minitti, M. E.

AU - Palucis, M.

AU - Rice, M.

AU - Williams, R. M.E.

AU - Yingst, R. A.

AU - Blake, D.

AU - Blaney, D.

AU - Conrad, P.

AU - Crisp, J.

AU - Dietrich, W. E.

AU - Dromart, G.

AU - Edgett, K. S.

AU - Ewing, R. C.

AU - Gellert, R.

AU - Hurowitz, J. A.

AU - Kocurek, G.

AU - Mahaffy, P.

AU - McBride, M. J.

AU - McLennan, S. M.

AU - Mischna, M.

AU - Ming, D.

AU - Milliken, R.

AU - Newsom, H.

AU - Oehler, D.

AU - Parker, T. J.

AU - Vaniman, D.

AU - Wiens, R. C.

AU - Wilson, S. A.

PY - 2015/10/9

Y1 - 2015/10/9

N2 - The landforms of northern Gale crater on Mars expose thick sequences of sedimentary rocks. Based on images obtained by the Curiosity rover, we interpret these outcrops as evidence for past fluvial, deltaic, and lacustrine environments. Degradation of the crater wall and rim probably supplied these sediments, which advanced inward from the wall, infilling both the crater and an internal lake basin to a thickness of at least 75 meters. This intracrater lake system probably existed intermittently for thousands to millions of years, implying a relatively wet climate that supplied moisture to the crater rim and transported sediment via streams into the lake basin. The deposits in Gale crater were then exhumed, probably by wind-driven erosion, creating Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp).

AB - The landforms of northern Gale crater on Mars expose thick sequences of sedimentary rocks. Based on images obtained by the Curiosity rover, we interpret these outcrops as evidence for past fluvial, deltaic, and lacustrine environments. Degradation of the crater wall and rim probably supplied these sediments, which advanced inward from the wall, infilling both the crater and an internal lake basin to a thickness of at least 75 meters. This intracrater lake system probably existed intermittently for thousands to millions of years, implying a relatively wet climate that supplied moisture to the crater rim and transported sediment via streams into the lake basin. The deposits in Gale crater were then exhumed, probably by wind-driven erosion, creating Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp).

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84943598109

U2 - 10.1126/science.aac7575

DO - 10.1126/science.aac7575

M3 - Article

C2 - 26450214

AN - SCOPUS:84943598109

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 350

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6257

M1 - aac7575

ER -

Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars

Abstract

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