Fluids during diagenesis and sulfate vein formation in sediments at Gale crater, Mars

S. P. Schwenzer; J. C. Bridges; R. C. Wiens; P. G. Conrad; S. P. Kelley; R. Leveille; N. Mangold; J. Martín-Torres; A. McAdam; H. Newsom; M. P. Zorzano; W. Rapin; J. Spray; A. H. Treiman; F. Westall; A. G. Fairén; P. -Y. Meslin

doi:10.1111/maps.12668

Fluids during diagenesis and sulfate vein formation in sediments at Gale crater, Mars

S. P. Schwenzer^*, J. C. Bridges, R. C. Wiens, P. G. Conrad, S. P. Kelley, R. Leveille, N. Mangold, J. Martín-Torres, A. McAdam, H. Newsom, M. P. Zorzano, W. Rapin, J. Spray, A. H. Treiman, F. Westall, A. G. Fairén, P. -Y. Meslin

^*Corresponding author for this work

Geology and Geophysics

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Abstract

We model the fluids involved in the alteration processes recorded in the Sheepbed Member mudstones of Yellowknife Bay (YKB), Gale crater, Mars, as revealed by the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover investigations. We compare the Gale crater waters with fluids modeled for shergottites, nakhlites, and the ancient meteorite ALH 84001, as well as rocks analyzed by the Mars Exploration rovers, and with terrestrial ground and surface waters. The aqueous solution present during sediment alteration associated with phyllosilicate formation at Gale was high in Na, K, and Si; had low Mg, Fe, and Al concentrations—relative to terrestrial groundwaters such as the Deccan Traps and other modeled Mars fluids; and had near neutral to alkaline pH. Ca and S species were present in the 10^-3 to 10^-2 concentration range. A fluid local to Gale crater strata produced the alteration products observed by Curiosity and subsequent evaporation of this groundwater-type fluid formed impure sulfate- and silica-rich deposits—veins or horizons. In a second, separate stage of alteration, partial dissolution of this sulfate-rich layer in Yellowknife Bay, or beyond, led to the pure sulfate veins observed in YKB. This scenario is analogous to similar processes identified at a terrestrial site in Triassic sediments with gypsum veins of the Mercia Mudstone Group in Watchet Bay, UK.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2175-2202
Number of pages	28
Journal	Meteoritics and Planetary Science
Volume	51
Issue number	11
Early online date	20 Jul 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12668
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2016

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments
We thank the two reviewers Brian Hynek and Sally Potter‐McIntyre and AE Justin Filiberto for their insightful comments, which improved the presentation of this article. We are grateful to Mark H. Reed and his team for providing CHIM‐XPT for this study. Support from the engineers, colleagues in operations roles, and staff of NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission are gratefully acknowledged. JCB and SPS acknowledge funding from the UK Space Agency, SPS additional funding through an Open University Research Investment Fellowship. F.W. acknowledges CNES funding.

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© 2016 The Authors. Meteoritics & Planetary Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Meteoritical Society (MET) This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Schwenzer, S. P., Bridges, J. C., Wiens, R. C., Conrad, P. G., Kelley, S. P., Leveille, R., Mangold, N., Martín-Torres, J., McAdam, A., Newsom, H., Zorzano, M. P., Rapin, W., Spray, J., Treiman, A. H., Westall, F., Fairén, A. G., & Meslin, P. .-Y. (2016). Fluids during diagenesis and sulfate vein formation in sediments at Gale crater, Mars. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 51(11), 2175-2202. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12668

Schwenzer, SP, Bridges, JC, Wiens, RC, Conrad, PG, Kelley, SP, Leveille, R, Mangold, N, Martín-Torres, J, McAdam, A, Newsom, H, Zorzano, MP, Rapin, W, Spray, J, Treiman, AH, Westall, F, Fairén, AG & Meslin, P-Y 2016, 'Fluids during diagenesis and sulfate vein formation in sediments at Gale crater, Mars', Meteoritics and Planetary Science, vol. 51, no. 11, pp. 2175-2202. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12668

@article{0c4ad260d5b0468e8f1ff7f64bacf111,

title = "Fluids during diagenesis and sulfate vein formation in sediments at Gale crater, Mars",

abstract = "We model the fluids involved in the alteration processes recorded in the Sheepbed Member mudstones of Yellowknife Bay (YKB), Gale crater, Mars, as revealed by the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover investigations. We compare the Gale crater waters with fluids modeled for shergottites, nakhlites, and the ancient meteorite ALH 84001, as well as rocks analyzed by the Mars Exploration rovers, and with terrestrial ground and surface waters. The aqueous solution present during sediment alteration associated with phyllosilicate formation at Gale was high in Na, K, and Si; had low Mg, Fe, and Al concentrations—relative to terrestrial groundwaters such as the Deccan Traps and other modeled Mars fluids; and had near neutral to alkaline pH. Ca and S species were present in the 10-3 to 10-2 concentration range. A fluid local to Gale crater strata produced the alteration products observed by Curiosity and subsequent evaporation of this groundwater-type fluid formed impure sulfate- and silica-rich deposits—veins or horizons. In a second, separate stage of alteration, partial dissolution of this sulfate-rich layer in Yellowknife Bay, or beyond, led to the pure sulfate veins observed in YKB. This scenario is analogous to similar processes identified at a terrestrial site in Triassic sediments with gypsum veins of the Mercia Mudstone Group in Watchet Bay, UK. ",

author = "Schwenzer, {S. P.} and Bridges, {J. C.} and Wiens, {R. C.} and Conrad, {P. G.} and Kelley, {S. P.} and R. Leveille and N. Mangold and J. Mart{\'i}n-Torres and A. McAdam and H. Newsom and Zorzano, {M. P.} and W. Rapin and J. Spray and Treiman, {A. H.} and F. Westall and Fair{\'e}n, {A. G.} and Meslin, {P. -Y.}",

note = "Acknowledgments We thank the two reviewers Brian Hynek and Sally Potter‐McIntyre and AE Justin Filiberto for their insightful comments, which improved the presentation of this article. We are grateful to Mark H. Reed and his team for providing CHIM‐XPT for this study. Support from the engineers, colleagues in operations roles, and staff of NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission are gratefully acknowledged. JCB and SPS acknowledge funding from the UK Space Agency, SPS additional funding through an Open University Research Investment Fellowship. F.W. acknowledges CNES funding.",

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AU - Schwenzer, S. P.

AU - Bridges, J. C.

AU - Wiens, R. C.

AU - Conrad, P. G.

AU - Kelley, S. P.

AU - Leveille, R.

AU - Mangold, N.

AU - Martín-Torres, J.

AU - McAdam, A.

AU - Newsom, H.

AU - Zorzano, M. P.

AU - Rapin, W.

AU - Spray, J.

AU - Treiman, A. H.

AU - Westall, F.

AU - Fairén, A. G.

AU - Meslin, P. -Y.

N1 - Acknowledgments We thank the two reviewers Brian Hynek and Sally Potter‐McIntyre and AE Justin Filiberto for their insightful comments, which improved the presentation of this article. We are grateful to Mark H. Reed and his team for providing CHIM‐XPT for this study. Support from the engineers, colleagues in operations roles, and staff of NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission are gratefully acknowledged. JCB and SPS acknowledge funding from the UK Space Agency, SPS additional funding through an Open University Research Investment Fellowship. F.W. acknowledges CNES funding.

PY - 2016/11/1

Y1 - 2016/11/1

N2 - We model the fluids involved in the alteration processes recorded in the Sheepbed Member mudstones of Yellowknife Bay (YKB), Gale crater, Mars, as revealed by the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover investigations. We compare the Gale crater waters with fluids modeled for shergottites, nakhlites, and the ancient meteorite ALH 84001, as well as rocks analyzed by the Mars Exploration rovers, and with terrestrial ground and surface waters. The aqueous solution present during sediment alteration associated with phyllosilicate formation at Gale was high in Na, K, and Si; had low Mg, Fe, and Al concentrations—relative to terrestrial groundwaters such as the Deccan Traps and other modeled Mars fluids; and had near neutral to alkaline pH. Ca and S species were present in the 10-3 to 10-2 concentration range. A fluid local to Gale crater strata produced the alteration products observed by Curiosity and subsequent evaporation of this groundwater-type fluid formed impure sulfate- and silica-rich deposits—veins or horizons. In a second, separate stage of alteration, partial dissolution of this sulfate-rich layer in Yellowknife Bay, or beyond, led to the pure sulfate veins observed in YKB. This scenario is analogous to similar processes identified at a terrestrial site in Triassic sediments with gypsum veins of the Mercia Mudstone Group in Watchet Bay, UK.

AB - We model the fluids involved in the alteration processes recorded in the Sheepbed Member mudstones of Yellowknife Bay (YKB), Gale crater, Mars, as revealed by the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover investigations. We compare the Gale crater waters with fluids modeled for shergottites, nakhlites, and the ancient meteorite ALH 84001, as well as rocks analyzed by the Mars Exploration rovers, and with terrestrial ground and surface waters. The aqueous solution present during sediment alteration associated with phyllosilicate formation at Gale was high in Na, K, and Si; had low Mg, Fe, and Al concentrations—relative to terrestrial groundwaters such as the Deccan Traps and other modeled Mars fluids; and had near neutral to alkaline pH. Ca and S species were present in the 10-3 to 10-2 concentration range. A fluid local to Gale crater strata produced the alteration products observed by Curiosity and subsequent evaporation of this groundwater-type fluid formed impure sulfate- and silica-rich deposits—veins or horizons. In a second, separate stage of alteration, partial dissolution of this sulfate-rich layer in Yellowknife Bay, or beyond, led to the pure sulfate veins observed in YKB. This scenario is analogous to similar processes identified at a terrestrial site in Triassic sediments with gypsum veins of the Mercia Mudstone Group in Watchet Bay, UK.

U2 - 10.1111/maps.12668

DO - 10.1111/maps.12668

M3 - Article

SN - 1086-9379

VL - 51

SP - 2175

EP - 2202

JO - Meteoritics and Planetary Science

JF - Meteoritics and Planetary Science

IS - 11

ER -

Fluids during diagenesis and sulfate vein formation in sediments at Gale crater, Mars

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