X-ray diffraction results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater

D. L. Bish; D. F. Blake; D. T. Vaniman; S. J. Chipera; R.V. Morris; D. W. Ming; A. H. Treiman; P. Sarrazin; S. M. Morrison; R. T. Downs; C. N. Achilles; A. S. Yen; T. F. Bristow; J. A. Crisp; J. M. Morookian; J. D. Farmer; E. B. Rampe; E. M. Stolper; N. Spanovich; MSL Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1238932

X-ray diffraction results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater

D. L. Bish^*, D. F. Blake, D. T. Vaniman, S. J. Chipera, R.V. Morris, D. W. Ming, A. H. Treiman, P. Sarrazin, S. M. Morrison, R. T. Downs, C. N. Achilles, A. S. Yen, T. F. Bristow, J. A. Crisp, J. M. Morookian, J. D. Farmer, E. B. Rampe, E. M. Stolper, N. Spanovich, MSL Science Team

^*Corresponding author for this work

Geology and Geophysics

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

271 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity scooped samples of soil from the Rocknest aeolian bedform in Gale crater. Analysis of the soil with the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) x-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument revealed plagioclase (~An57), forsteritic olivine (~Fo62), augite, and pigeonite, with minor K-feldspar, magnetite, quartz, anhydrite, hematite, and ilmenite. The minor phases are present at, or near, detection limits. The soil also contains 27 ± 14 weight percent x-ray amorphous material, likely containing multiple Fe3+- and volatile-bearing phases, including possibly a substance resembling hisingerite. The crystalline component is similar to the normative mineralogy of certain basaltic rocks from Gusev crater on Mars and of martian basaltic meteorites. The amorphous component is similar to that found on Earth in places such as soils on the Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii.

Original language	English
Article number	1238932
Number of pages	5
Journal	Science
Volume	341
Issue number	6153
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1238932
Publication status	Published - 27 Sept 2013

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments: Support from the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission is gratefully acknowledged. Some of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. XRD data presented here are archived in the Planetary Data System (PDS, pds.nasa.gov).

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Bish, D. L., Blake, D. F., Vaniman, D. T., Chipera, S. J., Morris, R. V., Ming, D. W., Treiman, A. H., Sarrazin, P., Morrison, S. M., Downs, R. T., Achilles, C. N., Yen, A. S., Bristow, T. F., Crisp, J. A., Morookian, J. M., Farmer, J. D., Rampe, E. B., Stolper, E. M., Spanovich, N., & MSL Science Team (2013). X-ray diffraction results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater. Science, 341(6153), Article 1238932. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1238932

Bish, DL, Blake, DF, Vaniman, DT, Chipera, SJ, Morris, RV, Ming, DW, Treiman, AH, Sarrazin, P, Morrison, SM, Downs, RT, Achilles, CN, Yen, AS, Bristow, TF, Crisp, JA, Morookian, JM, Farmer, JD, Rampe, EB, Stolper, EM, Spanovich, N & MSL Science Team 2013, 'X-ray diffraction results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater', Science, vol. 341, no. 6153, 1238932. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1238932

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title = "X-ray diffraction results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater",

abstract = "The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity scooped samples of soil from the Rocknest aeolian bedform in Gale crater. Analysis of the soil with the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) x-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument revealed plagioclase (~An57), forsteritic olivine (~Fo62), augite, and pigeonite, with minor K-feldspar, magnetite, quartz, anhydrite, hematite, and ilmenite. The minor phases are present at, or near, detection limits. The soil also contains 27 ± 14 weight percent x-ray amorphous material, likely containing multiple Fe3+- and volatile-bearing phases, including possibly a substance resembling hisingerite. The crystalline component is similar to the normative mineralogy of certain basaltic rocks from Gusev crater on Mars and of martian basaltic meteorites. The amorphous component is similar to that found on Earth in places such as soils on the Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii.",

author = "Bish, {D. L.} and Blake, {D. F.} and Vaniman, {D. T.} and Chipera, {S. J.} and R.V. Morris and Ming, {D. W.} and Treiman, {A. H.} and P. Sarrazin and Morrison, {S. M.} and Downs, {R. T.} and Achilles, {C. N.} and Yen, {A. S.} and Bristow, {T. F.} and Crisp, {J. A.} and Morookian, {J. M.} and Farmer, {J. D.} and Rampe, {E. B.} and Stolper, {E. M.} and N. Spanovich and {MSL Science Team} and Javier Martin-Torres",

note = "Acknowledgments: Support from the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission is gratefully acknowledged. Some of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. XRD data presented here are archived in the Planetary Data System (PDS, pds.nasa.gov).",

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T1 - X-ray diffraction results from Mars Science Laboratory

T2 - Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater

AU - Bish, D. L.

AU - Blake, D. F.

AU - Vaniman, D. T.

AU - Chipera, S. J.

AU - Morris, R.V.

AU - Ming, D. W.

AU - Treiman, A. H.

AU - Sarrazin, P.

AU - Morrison, S. M.

AU - Downs, R. T.

AU - Achilles, C. N.

AU - Yen, A. S.

AU - Bristow, T. F.

AU - Crisp, J. A.

AU - Morookian, J. M.

AU - Farmer, J. D.

AU - Rampe, E. B.

AU - Stolper, E. M.

AU - Spanovich, N.

AU - MSL Science Team

AU - Martin-Torres, Javier

N1 - Acknowledgments: Support from the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission is gratefully acknowledged. Some of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. XRD data presented here are archived in the Planetary Data System (PDS, pds.nasa.gov).

PY - 2013/9/27

Y1 - 2013/9/27

N2 - The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity scooped samples of soil from the Rocknest aeolian bedform in Gale crater. Analysis of the soil with the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) x-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument revealed plagioclase (~An57), forsteritic olivine (~Fo62), augite, and pigeonite, with minor K-feldspar, magnetite, quartz, anhydrite, hematite, and ilmenite. The minor phases are present at, or near, detection limits. The soil also contains 27 ± 14 weight percent x-ray amorphous material, likely containing multiple Fe3+- and volatile-bearing phases, including possibly a substance resembling hisingerite. The crystalline component is similar to the normative mineralogy of certain basaltic rocks from Gusev crater on Mars and of martian basaltic meteorites. The amorphous component is similar to that found on Earth in places such as soils on the Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii.

AB - The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity scooped samples of soil from the Rocknest aeolian bedform in Gale crater. Analysis of the soil with the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) x-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument revealed plagioclase (~An57), forsteritic olivine (~Fo62), augite, and pigeonite, with minor K-feldspar, magnetite, quartz, anhydrite, hematite, and ilmenite. The minor phases are present at, or near, detection limits. The soil also contains 27 ± 14 weight percent x-ray amorphous material, likely containing multiple Fe3+- and volatile-bearing phases, including possibly a substance resembling hisingerite. The crystalline component is similar to the normative mineralogy of certain basaltic rocks from Gusev crater on Mars and of martian basaltic meteorites. The amorphous component is similar to that found on Earth in places such as soils on the Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1238932

DO - 10.1126/science.1238932

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 341

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6153

M1 - 1238932

ER -

X-ray diffraction results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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