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Published December 3, 2004 | public
Journal Article

In Situ Evidence for an Ancient Aqueous Environment at Meridiani Planum, Mars

Abstract

Sedimentary rocks at Eagle crater in Meridiani Planum are composed of fine-grained siliciclastic materials derived from weathering of basaltic rocks, sulfate minerals (including magnesium sulfate and jarosite) that constitute several tens of percent of the rock by weight, and hematite. Cross-stratification observed in rock outcrops indicates eolian and aqueous transport. Diagenetic features include hematite-rich concretions and crystal-mold vugs. We interpret the rocks to be a mixture of chemical and siliciclastic sediments with a complex diagenetic history. The environmental conditions that they record include episodic inundation by shallow surface water, evaporation, and desiccation. The geologic record at Meridiani Planum suggests that conditions were suitable for biological activity for a period of time in martian history.

Additional Information

© 2004 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Received for publication 26 August 2004. Accepted for publication 19 October 2004. This research was carried out for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 23, 2023