Martian Fluvial Conglomerates at Gale Crater

R. M. E. Williams; J. P. Grotzinger; W. E. Dietrich; S. Gupta; D. Y. Sumner; R. C. Wiens; N. Mangold; M. C. Malin; K. S. Edgett; S. Maurice; O. Forni; O. Gasnault; A. Ollila; H. E. Newsom; G. Dromart; M. C. Palucis; R. A. Yingst; R. B. Anderson; K. E. Herkenhoff; S. Le Mouelic; W. Goetz; M. B. Madsen; A. Koefoed; J. K. Jensen; J. C. Bridges; S. P. Schwenzer; K. W. Lewis; K. M. Stack; D. Rubin; L. C. Kah; J. F. Bell; J. D. Farmer; R. Sullivan; T. Van Beek; D. L. Blaney; O. Pariser; R. G. Deen; Mars Science Laboratory Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1237317

Martian Fluvial Conglomerates at Gale Crater

R. M. E. Williams, J. P. Grotzinger, W. E. Dietrich, S. Gupta, D. Y. Sumner, R. C. Wiens, N. Mangold, M. C. Malin, K. S. Edgett, S. Maurice, O. Forni, O. Gasnault, A. Ollila, H. E. Newsom, G. Dromart, M. C. Palucis, R. A. Yingst, R. B. Anderson, K. E. Herkenhoff, S. Le MouelicW. Goetz, M. B. Madsen, A. Koefoed, J. K. Jensen, J. C. Bridges, S. P. Schwenzer, K. W. Lewis, K. M. Stack, D. Rubin, L. C. Kah, J. F. Bell, J. D. Farmer, R. Sullivan, T. Van Beek, D. L. Blaney, O. Pariser, R. G. Deen, Mars Science Laboratory Science Team

Planetary Sciences, Geography

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

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Abstract

Observations by the Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera (Mastcam) in Gale crater reveal isolated outcrops of cemented pebbles (2 to 40 millimeters in diameter) and sand grains with textures typical of fluvial sedimentary conglomerates. Rounded pebbles in the conglomerates indicate substantial fluvial abrasion. ChemCam emission spectra at one outcrop show a predominantly feldspathic composition, consistent with minimal aqueous alteration of sediments. Sediment was mobilized in ancient water flows that likely exceeded the threshold conditions (depth 0.03 to 0.9 meter, average velocity 0.20 to 0.75 meter per second) required to transport the pebbles. Climate conditions at the time sediment was transported must have differed substantially from the cold, hyper-arid modern environment to permit aqueous flows across several kilometers.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1068-1072
Journal	Science
Volume	340
Issue number	6136
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1237317
Publication status	Published - 31 May 2013

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments
We thank K. Tanaka and L. Kestay (USGS-Flagstaff) and four anonymous referees for constructive reviews of this manuscript. This research was carried out for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA under the Mars Program Office, including JPL contracts 1449884 (R.M.E.W.) and 1273887 (Malin Space Science Systems). Work in France was carried out with funding from the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales. Work in the UK was funded by the UK Space Agency. Work in Denmark was funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research/Natural Sciences (FNU grants 12-127126 and 11-107019) and the TICRA Foundation. Work in Germany was partly funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant GO 2288/1-1. Data in this manuscript are available from the NASA Planetary Data System. This is PSI contribution 603.

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Williams, R. M. E., Grotzinger, J. P., Dietrich, W. E., Gupta, S., Sumner, D. Y., Wiens, R. C., Mangold, N., Malin, M. C., Edgett, K. S., Maurice, S., Forni, O., Gasnault, O., Ollila, A., Newsom, H. E., Dromart, G., Palucis, M. C., Yingst, R. A., Anderson, R. B., Herkenhoff, K. E., ... Mars Science Laboratory Science Team (2013). Martian Fluvial Conglomerates at Gale Crater. Science, 340(6136), 1068-1072. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1237317

Williams, RME, Grotzinger, JP, Dietrich, WE, Gupta, S, Sumner, DY, Wiens, RC, Mangold, N, Malin, MC, Edgett, KS, Maurice, S, Forni, O, Gasnault, O, Ollila, A, Newsom, HE, Dromart, G, Palucis, MC, Yingst, RA, Anderson, RB, Herkenhoff, KE, Le Mouelic, S, Goetz, W, Madsen, MB, Koefoed, A, Jensen, JK, Bridges, JC, Schwenzer, SP, Lewis, KW, Stack, KM, Rubin, D, Kah, LC, Bell, JF, Farmer, JD, Sullivan, R, Van Beek, T, Blaney, DL, Pariser, O, Deen, RG & Mars Science Laboratory Science Team 2013, 'Martian Fluvial Conglomerates at Gale Crater', Science, vol. 340, no. 6136, pp. 1068-1072. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1237317

@article{f23fff76df604b0e80f35695b13f5fa2,

title = "Martian Fluvial Conglomerates at Gale Crater",

abstract = "Observations by the Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera (Mastcam) in Gale crater reveal isolated outcrops of cemented pebbles (2 to 40 millimeters in diameter) and sand grains with textures typical of fluvial sedimentary conglomerates. Rounded pebbles in the conglomerates indicate substantial fluvial abrasion. ChemCam emission spectra at one outcrop show a predominantly feldspathic composition, consistent with minimal aqueous alteration of sediments. Sediment was mobilized in ancient water flows that likely exceeded the threshold conditions (depth 0.03 to 0.9 meter, average velocity 0.20 to 0.75 meter per second) required to transport the pebbles. Climate conditions at the time sediment was transported must have differed substantially from the cold, hyper-arid modern environment to permit aqueous flows across several kilometers.",

author = "Williams, {R. M. E.} and Grotzinger, {J. P.} and Dietrich, {W. E.} and S. Gupta and Sumner, {D. Y.} and Wiens, {R. C.} and N. Mangold and Malin, {M. C.} and Edgett, {K. S.} and S. Maurice and O. Forni and O. Gasnault and A. Ollila and Newsom, {H. E.} and G. Dromart and Palucis, {M. C.} and Yingst, {R. A.} and Anderson, {R. B.} and Herkenhoff, {K. E.} and {Le Mouelic}, S. and W. Goetz and Madsen, {M. B.} and A. Koefoed and Jensen, {J. K.} and Bridges, {J. C.} and Schwenzer, {S. P.} and Lewis, {K. W.} and Stack, {K. M.} and D. Rubin and Kah, {L. C.} and Bell, {J. F.} and Farmer, {J. D.} and R. Sullivan and {Van Beek}, T. and Blaney, {D. L.} and O. Pariser and Deen, {R. G.} and {Mars Science Laboratory Science Team} and {Zorzano Mier}, Maria-Paz",

note = "Acknowledgments We thank K. Tanaka and L. Kestay (USGS-Flagstaff) and four anonymous referees for constructive reviews of this manuscript. This research was carried out for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA under the Mars Program Office, including JPL contracts 1449884 (R.M.E.W.) and 1273887 (Malin Space Science Systems). Work in France was carried out with funding from the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales. Work in the UK was funded by the UK Space Agency. Work in Denmark was funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research/Natural Sciences (FNU grants 12-127126 and 11-107019) and the TICRA Foundation. Work in Germany was partly funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant GO 2288/1-1. Data in this manuscript are available from the NASA Planetary Data System. This is PSI contribution 603.",

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doi = "10.1126/science.1237317",

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T1 - Martian Fluvial Conglomerates at Gale Crater

AU - Williams, R. M. E.

AU - Grotzinger, J. P.

AU - Dietrich, W. E.

AU - Gupta, S.

AU - Sumner, D. Y.

AU - Wiens, R. C.

AU - Mangold, N.

AU - Malin, M. C.

AU - Edgett, K. S.

AU - Maurice, S.

AU - Forni, O.

AU - Gasnault, O.

AU - Ollila, A.

AU - Newsom, H. E.

AU - Dromart, G.

AU - Palucis, M. C.

AU - Yingst, R. A.

AU - Anderson, R. B.

AU - Herkenhoff, K. E.

AU - Le Mouelic, S.

AU - Goetz, W.

AU - Madsen, M. B.

AU - Koefoed, A.

AU - Jensen, J. K.

AU - Bridges, J. C.

AU - Schwenzer, S. P.

AU - Lewis, K. W.

AU - Stack, K. M.

AU - Rubin, D.

AU - Kah, L. C.

AU - Bell, J. F.

AU - Farmer, J. D.

AU - Sullivan, R.

AU - Van Beek, T.

AU - Blaney, D. L.

AU - Pariser, O.

AU - Deen, R. G.

AU - Mars Science Laboratory Science Team

AU - Zorzano Mier, Maria-Paz

N1 - Acknowledgments We thank K. Tanaka and L. Kestay (USGS-Flagstaff) and four anonymous referees for constructive reviews of this manuscript. This research was carried out for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA under the Mars Program Office, including JPL contracts 1449884 (R.M.E.W.) and 1273887 (Malin Space Science Systems). Work in France was carried out with funding from the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales. Work in the UK was funded by the UK Space Agency. Work in Denmark was funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research/Natural Sciences (FNU grants 12-127126 and 11-107019) and the TICRA Foundation. Work in Germany was partly funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant GO 2288/1-1. Data in this manuscript are available from the NASA Planetary Data System. This is PSI contribution 603.

PY - 2013/5/31

Y1 - 2013/5/31

N2 - Observations by the Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera (Mastcam) in Gale crater reveal isolated outcrops of cemented pebbles (2 to 40 millimeters in diameter) and sand grains with textures typical of fluvial sedimentary conglomerates. Rounded pebbles in the conglomerates indicate substantial fluvial abrasion. ChemCam emission spectra at one outcrop show a predominantly feldspathic composition, consistent with minimal aqueous alteration of sediments. Sediment was mobilized in ancient water flows that likely exceeded the threshold conditions (depth 0.03 to 0.9 meter, average velocity 0.20 to 0.75 meter per second) required to transport the pebbles. Climate conditions at the time sediment was transported must have differed substantially from the cold, hyper-arid modern environment to permit aqueous flows across several kilometers.

AB - Observations by the Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera (Mastcam) in Gale crater reveal isolated outcrops of cemented pebbles (2 to 40 millimeters in diameter) and sand grains with textures typical of fluvial sedimentary conglomerates. Rounded pebbles in the conglomerates indicate substantial fluvial abrasion. ChemCam emission spectra at one outcrop show a predominantly feldspathic composition, consistent with minimal aqueous alteration of sediments. Sediment was mobilized in ancient water flows that likely exceeded the threshold conditions (depth 0.03 to 0.9 meter, average velocity 0.20 to 0.75 meter per second) required to transport the pebbles. Climate conditions at the time sediment was transported must have differed substantially from the cold, hyper-arid modern environment to permit aqueous flows across several kilometers.

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JO - Science

JF - Science

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ER -

Martian Fluvial Conglomerates at Gale Crater

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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