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Investigating Physical and Chemical Weathering of Fluvial and Aeolian Sediments in Mars-Analog Environments Using Close-Up Image AnalysisResults from the NASA Curiosity rover show that the ancient (>3 Ga) sedimentary rocks in Gale crater formed by fluvial and lacustrine processes, with aeolian processes dominating the geological record after the river-lake system ended in the Hesperian. The sedimentary system in Gale crater contains a mineralogy dominated by basaltic materials, not the quartzofeldspathic minerals that derive most sedimentary rocks on the Earth. There remains a knowledge gap for understanding how basaltic materials are physically and chemically weathered in fluvial and aeolian environments. This research aims to under-stand how the physical and chemical characteristics of basaltic sediments change as they are transported from source-to-sink in Mars-analog environments utilizing close-up images and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. These data were collected as part of the SAND-E mission.
Document ID
20230000454
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
F D Garcia Ledezma
(The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, Texas, United States)
C C Bedford
(Lunar and Planetary Institute Houston, Texas, United States)
V Tu
(Jacobs (United States) Dallas, Texas, United States)
E Rampe
(Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas, United States)
M Thorpe
(University of Maryland Houston, Texas, United States)
R C Ewing
(Texas A&M University System College Station, Texas, United States)
A Rudolph
(Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana, United States)
B Horgan
(Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana, United States)
P Sinha
(Purdue University)
Date Acquired
January 11, 2023
Subject Category
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Country: US
Start Date: March 13, 2023
End Date: March 17, 2023
Sponsors: Lunar and Planetary Institute
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 811073.02.52.01.11
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Portions of document may include copyright protected material.
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