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Using Mineralogy of the Bagnold Dune Field in Gale Crater to Interpret Eolian Sediment Sorting on the Martian SurfaceThe Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover landed in Gale crater in August 2012 to characterize modern and ancient surface environments. Curiosity executed a two-phase campaign to study the morphology, activity, physical properties, and chemical and mineralogical composition of the Bagnold Dune Field, an active eolian dune field on the lower slopes of Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp). Detectable aspects of dune sand mineralogy have been examined from orbit with the visible/short-wave infrared spectrometer CRISMand the thermal-infrared spectrometers THEMIS and TES. CRISM data demonstrate variations in plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine abundances across the dune field. Curiosity analyzed sediments from two locations in the dune field to evaluate the causes of the mineralogical differences observed from orbit. The Gobabeb sample was collected from Namib Dune, a barchanoidal dune on the upwind margin of the dune field, and the Ogunquit Beach sample was collected from the Mount Desert Island sand patch located downwind from Namib. These samples were sieved to <150 μm and delivered to the CheMin X-ray diffraction instrument for quantitative mineralogical analysis. CRISM-derived mineralogy of the Namib Dune and Mount Desert Island and CheMin-derived mineralogy of the Gobabeb and Ogunquit Beach samples can be used in a value-added manner to interpret grain segregation at the bedform to dune-field scale and evaluate contributions from local sediment sources. Models of CRISM data demonstrate that Mount Desert Island is more enriched in olivine and less enriched in plagioclase than Namib dune, suggesting that fine-grained mafic sediments are preferentially mobilized downwind. Curiosity data indicate olivine also forms a coarse lag on the lee sides of barchanoidal dunes. Minor abundances of hematite, quartz, and anhydrite and small differences in the crystal chemistry of plagioclase and pyroxene derived from CheMin data suggest that sediments from the underlying lacustrine rocks also contribute to the Bagnold sands.
Document ID
20180007623
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Abstract
Authors
Rampe, E. B. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Lapotre, M. (Harvard Univ. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Bristow, T. F. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Arvidson, R. E. (Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Morris, R. V. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Achilles, C. N. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Weitz, C. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Blake, D. F. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Ming, D. W. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Morrison, S. M. (Carnegie Institution for Science Washington, DC, United States)
Vaniman, D. T. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Chipera, S. J. (Chesapeake Energy Corp. Oklahoma City, OK, United States)
Downs, R. T. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Edgett, K.
Grotzinger, J. P. (California Inst. of Technology Pasadena, CA, United States)
Hazen, R. M. (Carnegie Institution for Science Washington, DC, United States)
Peretyazhko, T. S. (Jacobs Technology, Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Sutter, B. (Jacobs Technology, Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Tu, V. (Jacobs Technology, Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Yen, A. S. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Horgan, B. (Purdue Univ. West Lafayette, IN, United States)
Castle, N. (Lunar and Planetary Inst. Houston, TX, United States)
Craig, P. I. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
S. Czarnecki
Marais, D. J. Des (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Farmer, J. (Arizona State Univ. Tempe, AZ, United States)
Gabriel, T.
Gellert, R. (Guelph Univ. Ontario, Canada)
Hardgrove, C.
McAdam, A. C. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Morookian, J. M. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Sarrazin, P. C. (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Mountain View, CA, United States)
Treiman, A. H. (Lunar and Planetary Inst. Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
November 7, 2018
Publication Date
November 4, 2018
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
JSC-E-DAA-TN61288
Meeting Information
Meeting: Geological Society of America Annual Meeting
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Country: United States
Start Date: November 4, 2018
End Date: November 7, 2018
Sponsors: Geological Society of America
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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