Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars

Nina L. Lanza; Roger C. Wiens; Raymond E. Arvidson; Benton C. Clark; Woodward W. Fischer; Ralf Gellert; John P. Grotzinger; Joel A. Hurowitz; Scott M. McLennan; Richard V. Morris; Melissa S. Rice; James F. Bell; Jeffrey A. Berger; Diana L. Blaney; Nathan T. Bridges; Fred Calef; John L. Campbell; Samuel M. Clegg; Agnes Cousin; Kenneth S. Edgett; Cécile Fabre; Martin R. Fisk; Olivier Forni; Jens Frydenvang; Keian R. Hardy; Craig Hardgrove; Jeffrey R. Johnson; Jeremie Lasue; Stéphane Le Mouélic; Michael C. Malin; Nicolas Mangold; Javier Martìn-Torres; Sylvestre Maurice; Marie J. McBride; Douglas W. Ming; Horton E. Newsom; Ann M. Ollila; Violaine Sautter; Susanne Schröder; Lucy M. Thompson; Allan H. Treiman; Scott VanBommel; David T. Vaniman; Marìa Paz Zorzano

doi:10.1002/2016GL069109

Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars

Nina L. Lanza
, Roger C. Wiens
, Raymond E. Arvidson
, Benton C. Clark
, Woodward W. Fischer
, Ralf Gellert
, John P. Grotzinger
, Joel A. Hurowitz
, Scott M. McLennan
, Richard V. Morris
, Melissa S. Rice
, James F. Bell
, Jeffrey A. Berger
, Diana L. Blaney
, Nathan T. Bridges
, Fred Calef
, John L. Campbell
, Samuel M. Clegg
, Agnes Cousin
, Kenneth S. Edgett

Cécile Fabre, Martin R. Fisk, Olivier Forni, Jens Frydenvang, Keian R. Hardy, Craig Hardgrove, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Jeremie Lasue, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Michael C. Malin, Nicolas Mangold, Javier Martìn-Torres, Sylvestre Maurice, Marie J. McBride, Douglas W. Ming, Horton E. Newsom, Ann M. Ollila, Violaine Sautter, Susanne Schröder, Lucy M. Thompson, Allan H. Treiman, Scott VanBommel, David T. Vaniman, Marìa Paz Zorzano

Geosciences

Los Alamos National Laboratory
Washington University St. Louis
Space Science Institute
California Institute of Technology
University of Guelph
Stony Brook University
NASA Johnson Space Center
Western Washington University
Arizona State University
Western University
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Institute de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
Malin Space Science Systems
Université de Lorraine
Oregon State University
University of Copenhagen
United States Naval Academy
Nantes Université
Luleå University of Technology
Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC‐UGR)
Purdue University
University of New Mexico
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
University of New Brunswick
Universities Space Research Association
Planetary Science Institute
CSIC

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

131 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Curiosity rover observed high Mn abundances (>25 wt % MnO) in fracture-filling materials that crosscut sandstones in the Kimberley region of Gale crater, Mars. The correlation between Mn and trace metal abundances plus the lack of correlation between Mn and elements such as S, Cl, and C, reveals that these deposits are Mn oxides rather than evaporites or other salts. On Earth, environments that concentrate Mn and deposit Mn minerals require water and highly oxidizing conditions; hence, these findings suggest that similar processes occurred on Mars. Based on the strong association between Mn-oxide deposition and evolving atmospheric dioxygen levels on Earth, the presence of these Mn phases on Mars suggests that there was more abundant molecular oxygen within the atmosphere and some groundwaters of ancient Mars than in the present day.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	7398-7407
Number of pages	10
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	43
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069109
State	Published - Jul 28 2016

Keywords

ChemCam
manganese
Mars
MSL
oxidation

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10.1002/2016GL069109

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Lanza, N. L., Wiens, R. C., Arvidson, R. E., Clark, B. C., Fischer, W. W., Gellert, R., Grotzinger, J. P., Hurowitz, J. A., McLennan, S. M., Morris, R. V., Rice, M. S., Bell, J. F., Berger, J. A., Blaney, D. L., Bridges, N. T., Calef, F., Campbell, J. L., Clegg, S. M., Cousin, A., ... Zorzano, M. P. (2016). Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(14), 7398-7407. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069109

@article{6dccbbc9784543b4b722f08f2e8c2479,

title = "Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars",

abstract = "The Curiosity rover observed high Mn abundances (>25 wt \% MnO) in fracture-filling materials that crosscut sandstones in the Kimberley region of Gale crater, Mars. The correlation between Mn and trace metal abundances plus the lack of correlation between Mn and elements such as S, Cl, and C, reveals that these deposits are Mn oxides rather than evaporites or other salts. On Earth, environments that concentrate Mn and deposit Mn minerals require water and highly oxidizing conditions; hence, these findings suggest that similar processes occurred on Mars. Based on the strong association between Mn-oxide deposition and evolving atmospheric dioxygen levels on Earth, the presence of these Mn phases on Mars suggests that there was more abundant molecular oxygen within the atmosphere and some groundwaters of ancient Mars than in the present day.",

keywords = "ChemCam, manganese, Mars, MSL, oxidation",

author = "Lanza, \{Nina L.\} and Wiens, \{Roger C.\} and Arvidson, \{Raymond E.\} and Clark, \{Benton C.\} and Fischer, \{Woodward W.\} and Ralf Gellert and Grotzinger, \{John P.\} and Hurowitz, \{Joel A.\} and McLennan, \{Scott M.\} and Morris, \{Richard V.\} and Rice, \{Melissa S.\} and Bell, \{James F.\} and Berger, \{Jeffrey A.\} and Blaney, \{Diana L.\} and Bridges, \{Nathan T.\} and Fred Calef and Campbell, \{John L.\} and Clegg, \{Samuel M.\} and Agnes Cousin and Edgett, \{Kenneth S.\} and C{\'e}cile Fabre and Fisk, \{Martin R.\} and Olivier Forni and Jens Frydenvang and Hardy, \{Keian R.\} and Craig Hardgrove and Johnson, \{Jeffrey R.\} and Jeremie Lasue and \{Le Mou{\'e}lic\}, St{\'e}phane and Malin, \{Michael C.\} and Nicolas Mangold and Javier Mart{\`i}n-Torres and Sylvestre Maurice and McBride, \{Marie J.\} and Ming, \{Douglas W.\} and Newsom, \{Horton E.\} and Ollila, \{Ann M.\} and Violaine Sautter and Susanne Schr{\"o}der and Thompson, \{Lucy M.\} and Treiman, \{Allan H.\} and Scott VanBommel and Vaniman, \{David T.\} and Zorzano, \{Mar{\`i}a Paz\}",

year = "2016",

month = jul,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1002/2016GL069109",

language = "English",

volume = "43",

pages = "7398--7407",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

number = "14",

}

Lanza, NL, Wiens, RC, Arvidson, RE, Clark, BC, Fischer, WW, Gellert, R, Grotzinger, JP, Hurowitz, JA, McLennan, SM, Morris, RV, Rice, MS, Bell, JF, Berger, JA, Blaney, DL, Bridges, NT, Calef, F, Campbell, JL, Clegg, SM, Cousin, A, Edgett, KS, Fabre, C, Fisk, MR, Forni, O, Frydenvang, J, Hardy, KR, Hardgrove, C, Johnson, JR, Lasue, J, Le Mouélic, S, Malin, MC, Mangold, N, Martìn-Torres, J, Maurice, S, McBride, MJ, Ming, DW, Newsom, HE, Ollila, AM, Sautter, V, Schröder, S, Thompson, LM, Treiman, AH, VanBommel, S, Vaniman, DT & Zorzano, MP 2016, 'Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 43, no. 14, pp. 7398-7407. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069109

TY - JOUR

T1 - Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars

AU - Lanza, Nina L.

AU - Wiens, Roger C.

AU - Arvidson, Raymond E.

AU - Clark, Benton C.

AU - Fischer, Woodward W.

AU - Gellert, Ralf

AU - Grotzinger, John P.

AU - Hurowitz, Joel A.

AU - McLennan, Scott M.

AU - Morris, Richard V.

AU - Rice, Melissa S.

AU - Bell, James F.

AU - Berger, Jeffrey A.

AU - Blaney, Diana L.

AU - Bridges, Nathan T.

AU - Calef, Fred

AU - Campbell, John L.

AU - Clegg, Samuel M.

AU - Cousin, Agnes

AU - Edgett, Kenneth S.

AU - Fabre, Cécile

AU - Fisk, Martin R.

AU - Forni, Olivier

AU - Frydenvang, Jens

AU - Hardy, Keian R.

AU - Hardgrove, Craig

AU - Johnson, Jeffrey R.

AU - Lasue, Jeremie

AU - Le Mouélic, Stéphane

AU - Malin, Michael C.

AU - Mangold, Nicolas

AU - Martìn-Torres, Javier

AU - Maurice, Sylvestre

AU - McBride, Marie J.

AU - Ming, Douglas W.

AU - Newsom, Horton E.

AU - Ollila, Ann M.

AU - Sautter, Violaine

AU - Schröder, Susanne

AU - Thompson, Lucy M.

AU - Treiman, Allan H.

AU - VanBommel, Scott

AU - Vaniman, David T.

AU - Zorzano, Marìa Paz

PY - 2016/7/28

Y1 - 2016/7/28

N2 - The Curiosity rover observed high Mn abundances (>25 wt % MnO) in fracture-filling materials that crosscut sandstones in the Kimberley region of Gale crater, Mars. The correlation between Mn and trace metal abundances plus the lack of correlation between Mn and elements such as S, Cl, and C, reveals that these deposits are Mn oxides rather than evaporites or other salts. On Earth, environments that concentrate Mn and deposit Mn minerals require water and highly oxidizing conditions; hence, these findings suggest that similar processes occurred on Mars. Based on the strong association between Mn-oxide deposition and evolving atmospheric dioxygen levels on Earth, the presence of these Mn phases on Mars suggests that there was more abundant molecular oxygen within the atmosphere and some groundwaters of ancient Mars than in the present day.

AB - The Curiosity rover observed high Mn abundances (>25 wt % MnO) in fracture-filling materials that crosscut sandstones in the Kimberley region of Gale crater, Mars. The correlation between Mn and trace metal abundances plus the lack of correlation between Mn and elements such as S, Cl, and C, reveals that these deposits are Mn oxides rather than evaporites or other salts. On Earth, environments that concentrate Mn and deposit Mn minerals require water and highly oxidizing conditions; hence, these findings suggest that similar processes occurred on Mars. Based on the strong association between Mn-oxide deposition and evolving atmospheric dioxygen levels on Earth, the presence of these Mn phases on Mars suggests that there was more abundant molecular oxygen within the atmosphere and some groundwaters of ancient Mars than in the present day.

KW - ChemCam

KW - manganese

KW - Mars

KW - MSL

KW - oxidation

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84978477020

U2 - 10.1002/2016GL069109

DO - 10.1002/2016GL069109

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84978477020

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 43

SP - 7398

EP - 7407

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 14

ER -

Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars

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Keywords

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