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Results and Implications of Mineralogical Models for Chemical Sediments at Meridiani PlanumThe Mars Exploration Rover (MER) "Opportunity" has explored chemically-enriched sedimentary outcrops at Meridiani Planum, Mars. In its first year, three different crater sites - Eagle, Fram and Endurance - have been explored. Nineteen high-interest outcrop rocks were investigated by first grinding a hole to reach the interior (using the Rock Abrasion Tool, RAT), and then conducting APXS (alpha particle x-ray spectrometry) analysis, MB (M ssbauer) analysis, and close up imaging (MI, microscopic imager). Sixteen elements and four Fe-bearing minerals were assayed to good accuracy in each sample, producing 380 compositional data points. The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini- TES) obtained spectra on outcrop materials which provide direct indication of several mineral classes. Preliminary reports on Eagle crater and three RAT samples have been published. Chemical trends and a derived mineralogical model for all RAT d outcrop samples to date has been developed.
Document ID
20050167176
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Clark, B. C. (Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. Denver, CO, United States)
McLennan, S. M. (State Univ. of New York Stony Brook, NY, United States)
Morris, R. V. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Gellert, R. (Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Chemie Mainz, Germany)
Jolliff, B. (Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Knoll, A. (Harvard Univ. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Lowenstein, T. K. (State Univ. of New York Binghamton, NY, United States)
Ming, D. W. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Tosca, N. J. (State Univ. of New York Stony Brook, NY, United States)
Christensen, P. R. (Arizona State Univ. Tempe, AZ, United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 3
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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