Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars

J. A. Hurowitz; J. P. Grotzinger; W. W. Fischer; S. M. McLennan; R. E. Milliken; N. Stein; A. R. Vasavada; D. F. Blake; E. Dehouck; J. L. Eigenbrode; A. G. Fairén; J. Frydenvang; R. Gellert; J. A. Grant; S. Gupta; K. E. Herkenhoff; D. W. Ming; E. B. Rampe; M. E. Schmidt; K. L. Siebach; K. Stack-Morgan; D. Y. Sumner; R. C. Wiens

doi:10.1126/science.aah6849

Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars

J. A. Hurowitz
, J. P. Grotzinger
, W. W. Fischer
, S. M. McLennan
, R. E. Milliken
, N. Stein
, A. R. Vasavada
, D. F. Blake
, E. Dehouck
, J. L. Eigenbrode
, A. G. Fairén
, J. Frydenvang
, R. Gellert
, J. A. Grant
, S. Gupta
, K. E. Herkenhoff
, D. W. Ming
, E. B. Rampe
, M. E. Schmidt
, K. L. Siebach

K. Stack-Morgan, D. Y. Sumner, R. C. Wiens

Geosciences

California Institute of Technology
Stony Brook University
Brown University
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
NASA Ames Research Center
Institute de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
CSIC
Cornell University
Los Alamos National Laboratory
University of Copenhagen
University of Guelph
Smithsonian Institution
Imperial College London
United States Geological Survey
NASA Johnson Space Center
Brock University
University of California at Davis

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

279 Scopus citations

Abstract

In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars to assess its potential as a habitat for past life and investigate the paleoclimate record preserved by sedimentary rocks inside the -150-kilometer-diameter Gale impact crater. Geological reconstructions from Curiosity rover data have revealed an ancient, habitable lake environment fed by rivers draining into the crater. We synthesize geochemical and mineralogical data from lake-bed mudstones collected during the first 1300 martian solar days of rover operations in Gale. We present evidence for lake redox stratification, established by depth-dependent variations in atmospheric oxidant and dissolved-solute concentrations. Paleoclimate proxy data indicate that a transition from colder to warmer climate conditions is preserved in the stratigraphy. Finally, a late phase of geochemical modification by saline fluids is recognized.

Original language	English
Article number	aah6849
Journal	Science
Volume	356
Issue number	6341
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah6849
State	Published - Jun 2 2017

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Hurowitz, J. A., Grotzinger, J. P., Fischer, W. W., McLennan, S. M., Milliken, R. E., Stein, N., Vasavada, A. R., Blake, D. F., Dehouck, E., Eigenbrode, J. L., Fairén, A. G., Frydenvang, J., Gellert, R., Grant, J. A., Gupta, S., Herkenhoff, K. E., Ming, D. W., Rampe, E. B., Schmidt, M. E., ... Wiens, R. C. (2017). Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars. Science, 356(6341), Article aah6849. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah6849

@article{2febaa60acb8402b9caf96b67c0afdfb,

title = "Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars",

abstract = "In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars to assess its potential as a habitat for past life and investigate the paleoclimate record preserved by sedimentary rocks inside the -150-kilometer-diameter Gale impact crater. Geological reconstructions from Curiosity rover data have revealed an ancient, habitable lake environment fed by rivers draining into the crater. We synthesize geochemical and mineralogical data from lake-bed mudstones collected during the first 1300 martian solar days of rover operations in Gale. We present evidence for lake redox stratification, established by depth-dependent variations in atmospheric oxidant and dissolved-solute concentrations. Paleoclimate proxy data indicate that a transition from colder to warmer climate conditions is preserved in the stratigraphy. Finally, a late phase of geochemical modification by saline fluids is recognized.",

author = "Hurowitz, \{J. A.\} and Grotzinger, \{J. P.\} and Fischer, \{W. W.\} and McLennan, \{S. M.\} and Milliken, \{R. E.\} and N. Stein and Vasavada, \{A. R.\} and Blake, \{D. F.\} and E. Dehouck and Eigenbrode, \{J. L.\} and Fair{\'e}n, \{A. G.\} and J. Frydenvang and R. Gellert and Grant, \{J. A.\} and S. Gupta and Herkenhoff, \{K. E.\} and Ming, \{D. W.\} and Rampe, \{E. B.\} and Schmidt, \{M. E.\} and Siebach, \{K. L.\} and K. Stack-Morgan and Sumner, \{D. Y.\} and Wiens, \{R. C.\}",

year = "2017",

month = jun,

day = "2",

doi = "10.1126/science.aah6849",

language = "English",

volume = "356",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

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Hurowitz, JA, Grotzinger, JP, Fischer, WW, McLennan, SM, Milliken, RE, Stein, N, Vasavada, AR, Blake, DF, Dehouck, E, Eigenbrode, JL, Fairén, AG, Frydenvang, J, Gellert, R, Grant, JA, Gupta, S, Herkenhoff, KE, Ming, DW, Rampe, EB, Schmidt, ME, Siebach, KL, Stack-Morgan, K, Sumner, DY & Wiens, RC 2017, 'Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars', Science, vol. 356, no. 6341, aah6849. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah6849

TY - JOUR

T1 - Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars

AU - Hurowitz, J. A.

AU - Grotzinger, J. P.

AU - Fischer, W. W.

AU - McLennan, S. M.

AU - Milliken, R. E.

AU - Stein, N.

AU - Vasavada, A. R.

AU - Blake, D. F.

AU - Dehouck, E.

AU - Eigenbrode, J. L.

AU - Fairén, A. G.

AU - Frydenvang, J.

AU - Gellert, R.

AU - Grant, J. A.

AU - Gupta, S.

AU - Herkenhoff, K. E.

AU - Ming, D. W.

AU - Rampe, E. B.

AU - Schmidt, M. E.

AU - Siebach, K. L.

AU - Stack-Morgan, K.

AU - Sumner, D. Y.

AU - Wiens, R. C.

PY - 2017/6/2

Y1 - 2017/6/2

N2 - In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars to assess its potential as a habitat for past life and investigate the paleoclimate record preserved by sedimentary rocks inside the -150-kilometer-diameter Gale impact crater. Geological reconstructions from Curiosity rover data have revealed an ancient, habitable lake environment fed by rivers draining into the crater. We synthesize geochemical and mineralogical data from lake-bed mudstones collected during the first 1300 martian solar days of rover operations in Gale. We present evidence for lake redox stratification, established by depth-dependent variations in atmospheric oxidant and dissolved-solute concentrations. Paleoclimate proxy data indicate that a transition from colder to warmer climate conditions is preserved in the stratigraphy. Finally, a late phase of geochemical modification by saline fluids is recognized.

AB - In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars to assess its potential as a habitat for past life and investigate the paleoclimate record preserved by sedimentary rocks inside the -150-kilometer-diameter Gale impact crater. Geological reconstructions from Curiosity rover data have revealed an ancient, habitable lake environment fed by rivers draining into the crater. We synthesize geochemical and mineralogical data from lake-bed mudstones collected during the first 1300 martian solar days of rover operations in Gale. We present evidence for lake redox stratification, established by depth-dependent variations in atmospheric oxidant and dissolved-solute concentrations. Paleoclimate proxy data indicate that a transition from colder to warmer climate conditions is preserved in the stratigraphy. Finally, a late phase of geochemical modification by saline fluids is recognized.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85020239552

U2 - 10.1126/science.aah6849

DO - 10.1126/science.aah6849

M3 - Article

C2 - 28572336

AN - SCOPUS:85020239552

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 356

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6341

M1 - aah6849

ER -

Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars

Abstract

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