Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars

J. A. Hurowitz; J. P. Grotzinger; W. W. Fischer; S. M. Mclennan; R. E. Milliken; N. Stein; A. R. Vasavada; D. F. Blake; E. Dehouck; Jennifer L. Eigenbrode; A. G. Fairén; Jens Frydenvang; R. Gellert; J. A. Grant; S. Gupta; K. E. Herkenhoff; D. W. Ming; E. B. Rampe; M. E. Schmidt; K. L. Siebach; K. Stack-morgan; D. Y. Sumner; R. C. Wiens

doi:10.1126/science.aah6849

Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars

J. A. Hurowitz, J. P. Grotzinger, W. W. Fischer, S. M. Mclennan, R. E. Milliken, N. Stein, A. R. Vasavada, D. F. Blake, E. Dehouck, Jennifer L. Eigenbrode, A. G. Fairén, Jens Frydenvang, R. Gellert, J. A. Grant, S. Gupta, K. E. Herkenhoff, D. W. Ming, E. B. Rampe, M. E. Schmidt, K. L. SiebachK. Stack-morgan, D. Y. Sumner, R. C. Wiens

121 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars to assess its potential as a habitat for past life and investigate the paleoclimate record preserved by sedimentary rocks inside the -150-kilometer-diameter Gale impact crater. Geological reconstructions from Curiosity rover data have revealed an ancient, habitable lake environment fed by rivers draining into the crater. We synthesize geochemical and mineralogical data from lake-bed mudstones collected during the first 1300 martian solar days of rover operations in Gale. We present evidence for lake redox stratification, established by depth-dependent variations in atmospheric oxidant and dissolved-solute concentrations. Paleoclimate proxy data indicate that a transition from colder to warmer climate conditions is preserved in the stratigraphy. Finally, a late phase of geochemical modification by saline fluids is recognized.

Original language	English
Article number	eaah6849
Journal	Science
Volume	356
Issue number	6341
Number of pages	11
ISSN	0036-8075
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah6849
Publication status	Published - 2 Jun 2017

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1126/science.aah6849

eaah6849.full.pdfFinal published version, 1.05 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Hurowitz, J. A., Grotzinger, J. P., Fischer, W. W., Mclennan, S. M., Milliken, R. E., Stein, N., Vasavada, A. R., Blake, D. F., Dehouck, E., Eigenbrode, J. L., Fairén, A. G., Frydenvang, J., Gellert, R., Grant, J. A., Gupta, S., Herkenhoff, K. E., Ming, D. W., Rampe, E. B., Schmidt, M. E., ... Wiens, R. C. (2017). Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars. Science, 356(6341), Article eaah6849. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah6849

Hurowitz, JA, Grotzinger, JP, Fischer, WW, Mclennan, SM, Milliken, RE, Stein, N, Vasavada, AR, Blake, DF, Dehouck, E, Eigenbrode, JL, Fairén, AG, Frydenvang, J, Gellert, R, Grant, JA, Gupta, S, Herkenhoff, KE, Ming, DW, Rampe, EB, Schmidt, ME, Siebach, KL, Stack-morgan, K, Sumner, DY & Wiens, RC 2017, 'Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars', Science, vol. 356, no. 6341, eaah6849. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah6849

@article{780a757d243844f4baea4e80c14291be,

title = "Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars",

abstract = "In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars to assess its potential as a habitat for past life and investigate the paleoclimate record preserved by sedimentary rocks inside the -150-kilometer-diameter Gale impact crater. Geological reconstructions from Curiosity rover data have revealed an ancient, habitable lake environment fed by rivers draining into the crater. We synthesize geochemical and mineralogical data from lake-bed mudstones collected during the first 1300 martian solar days of rover operations in Gale. We present evidence for lake redox stratification, established by depth-dependent variations in atmospheric oxidant and dissolved-solute concentrations. Paleoclimate proxy data indicate that a transition from colder to warmer climate conditions is preserved in the stratigraphy. Finally, a late phase of geochemical modification by saline fluids is recognized.",

author = "Hurowitz, {J. A.} and Grotzinger, {J. P.} and Fischer, {W. W.} and Mclennan, {S. M.} and Milliken, {R. E.} and N. Stein and Vasavada, {A. R.} and Blake, {D. F.} and E. Dehouck and Eigenbrode, {Jennifer L.} and Fair{\'e}n, {A. G.} and Jens Frydenvang and R. Gellert and Grant, {J. A.} and S. Gupta and Herkenhoff, {K. E.} and Ming, {D. W.} and Rampe, {E. B.} and Schmidt, {M. E.} and Siebach, {K. L.} and K. Stack-morgan and Sumner, {D. Y.} and Wiens, {R. C.}",

year = "2017",

month = jun,

day = "2",

doi = "10.1126/science.aah6849",

language = "English",

volume = "356",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6341",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars

AU - Hurowitz, J. A.

AU - Grotzinger, J. P.

AU - Fischer, W. W.

AU - Mclennan, S. M.

AU - Milliken, R. E.

AU - Stein, N.

AU - Vasavada, A. R.

AU - Blake, D. F.

AU - Dehouck, E.

AU - Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.

AU - Fairén, A. G.

AU - Frydenvang, Jens

AU - Gellert, R.

AU - Grant, J. A.

AU - Gupta, S.

AU - Herkenhoff, K. E.

AU - Ming, D. W.

AU - Rampe, E. B.

AU - Schmidt, M. E.

AU - Siebach, K. L.

AU - Stack-morgan, K.

AU - Sumner, D. Y.

AU - Wiens, R. C.

PY - 2017/6/2

Y1 - 2017/6/2

N2 - In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars to assess its potential as a habitat for past life and investigate the paleoclimate record preserved by sedimentary rocks inside the -150-kilometer-diameter Gale impact crater. Geological reconstructions from Curiosity rover data have revealed an ancient, habitable lake environment fed by rivers draining into the crater. We synthesize geochemical and mineralogical data from lake-bed mudstones collected during the first 1300 martian solar days of rover operations in Gale. We present evidence for lake redox stratification, established by depth-dependent variations in atmospheric oxidant and dissolved-solute concentrations. Paleoclimate proxy data indicate that a transition from colder to warmer climate conditions is preserved in the stratigraphy. Finally, a late phase of geochemical modification by saline fluids is recognized.

AB - In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars to assess its potential as a habitat for past life and investigate the paleoclimate record preserved by sedimentary rocks inside the -150-kilometer-diameter Gale impact crater. Geological reconstructions from Curiosity rover data have revealed an ancient, habitable lake environment fed by rivers draining into the crater. We synthesize geochemical and mineralogical data from lake-bed mudstones collected during the first 1300 martian solar days of rover operations in Gale. We present evidence for lake redox stratification, established by depth-dependent variations in atmospheric oxidant and dissolved-solute concentrations. Paleoclimate proxy data indicate that a transition from colder to warmer climate conditions is preserved in the stratigraphy. Finally, a late phase of geochemical modification by saline fluids is recognized.

U2 - 10.1126/science.aah6849

DO - 10.1126/science.aah6849

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28572336

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 356

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6341

M1 - eaah6849

ER -

Redox stratification of an ancient lake in Gale crater, Mars

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this