Identification and Description of a Silicic Volcaniclastic Layer in Gale Crater, Mars, Using Active Neutron Interrogation
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
Identification and Description of a Silicic Volcaniclastic Layer in Gale Crater, Mars, Using Active Neutron Interrogation. / Czarnecki, S.; Hardgrove, C.; Gasda, Patrick J.; Gabriel, T. S.J.; Starr, M.; Rice, M. S.; Frydenvang, J.; Wiens, R. C.; Rapin, W.; Nikiforov, S.; Lisov, D.; Litvak, M.; Calef, F.; Gengl, H.; Newsom, Horton E.; Thompson, L.; Nowicki, S.
In: Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, Vol. 125, No. 3, e2019JE006180, 01.03.2020.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Identification and Description of a Silicic Volcaniclastic Layer in Gale Crater, Mars, Using Active Neutron Interrogation
AU - Czarnecki, S.
AU - Hardgrove, C.
AU - Gasda, Patrick J.
AU - Gabriel, T. S.J.
AU - Starr, M.
AU - Rice, M. S.
AU - Frydenvang, J.
AU - Wiens, R. C.
AU - Rapin, W.
AU - Nikiforov, S.
AU - Lisov, D.
AU - Litvak, M.
AU - Calef, F.
AU - Gengl, H.
AU - Newsom, Horton E.
AU - Thompson, L.
AU - Nowicki, S.
PY - 2020/3/1
Y1 - 2020/3/1
N2 - The Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument aboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, has been used to map a stratigraphically conformable layer of high-SiO (Formula presented.) material in Gale crater. Previous work has shown that this material contains tridymite, a high-temperature/low-pressure felsic mineral, interpreted to have a volcanic source rock. We describe several characteristics including orientation, extent, hydration, and geochemistry, consistent with a volcaniclastic material conformably deposited within a lacustrine mudstone succession. Relationships with widely dispersed alteration features and orbital detections of hydrated SiO (Formula presented.) suggest that this high-SiO (Formula presented.) layer extends at least 17 km laterally. Mineralogical abundances previously reported for this high-SiO (Formula presented.) material indicated that hydrous species were restricted to the amorphous (non-crystalline) fraction, which is dominated by SiO (Formula presented.). The low mean bulk hydration of this high-SiO (Formula presented.) layer (1.85 (Formula presented.) 0.13 wt.% water-equivalent hydrogen) is consistent with silicic glass in addition to opal-A and opal-CT. Persistent volcanic glass and tridymite in addition to opal in an ancient sedimentary unit indicates that the conversion to more ordered forms of crystalline SiO (Formula presented.) has not proceeded to completion and that this material has had only limited exposure to water since it originally erupted, despite having been transported in a fluviolacustrine system. Our results, including the conformable nature, large areal extent, and presence of volcanic glass, indicate that this high-SiO (Formula presented.) material is derived from the product of evolved magma on Mars. This is the first identification of a silicic volcaniclastic layer on another planet and has important implications for magma evolution mechanisms on single-plate planets.
AB - The Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument aboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, has been used to map a stratigraphically conformable layer of high-SiO (Formula presented.) material in Gale crater. Previous work has shown that this material contains tridymite, a high-temperature/low-pressure felsic mineral, interpreted to have a volcanic source rock. We describe several characteristics including orientation, extent, hydration, and geochemistry, consistent with a volcaniclastic material conformably deposited within a lacustrine mudstone succession. Relationships with widely dispersed alteration features and orbital detections of hydrated SiO (Formula presented.) suggest that this high-SiO (Formula presented.) layer extends at least 17 km laterally. Mineralogical abundances previously reported for this high-SiO (Formula presented.) material indicated that hydrous species were restricted to the amorphous (non-crystalline) fraction, which is dominated by SiO (Formula presented.). The low mean bulk hydration of this high-SiO (Formula presented.) layer (1.85 (Formula presented.) 0.13 wt.% water-equivalent hydrogen) is consistent with silicic glass in addition to opal-A and opal-CT. Persistent volcanic glass and tridymite in addition to opal in an ancient sedimentary unit indicates that the conversion to more ordered forms of crystalline SiO (Formula presented.) has not proceeded to completion and that this material has had only limited exposure to water since it originally erupted, despite having been transported in a fluviolacustrine system. Our results, including the conformable nature, large areal extent, and presence of volcanic glass, indicate that this high-SiO (Formula presented.) material is derived from the product of evolved magma on Mars. This is the first identification of a silicic volcaniclastic layer on another planet and has important implications for magma evolution mechanisms on single-plate planets.
KW - evolved igneous lithology
KW - Gale crater
KW - Marias Pass
KW - Mars water
KW - neutron spectroscopy
KW - silica
U2 - 10.1029/2019JE006180
DO - 10.1029/2019JE006180
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85083524174
VL - 125
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
SN - 0148-0227
IS - 3
M1 - e2019JE006180
ER -
ID: 240688700