TY - JOUR
T1 - Depositional and Diagenetic Sulfates of Hogwallow Flats and Yori Pass, Jezero Crater: Evaluating Preservation Potential of Environmental Indicators and Possible Biosignatures From Past Martian Surface Waters and Groundwaters
AU - Benison, Kathleen C.
AU - Gill, Karena K.
AU - Sharma, Sunanda
AU - Siljeström, Sandra
AU - Zawaski, Mike
AU - Bosak, Tanja
AU - Broz, Adrian
AU - Clark, Benton C.
AU - Cloutis, Edward
AU - Czaja, Andrew D.
AU - Flannery, David
AU - Fornaro, Teresa
AU - Gómez, Felipe
AU - Hand, Kevin
AU - Herd, Chris D. K.
AU - Johnson, Jeffrey R.
AU - Madariaga, Juan Manuel
AU - Madsen, Morten B.
AU - Martinez‐Frías, Jesús
AU - Nachon, Marion
AU - Núñez, Jorge I.
AU - Pedersen, David A. K.
AU - Randazzo, Nicholas
AU - Shuster, David L.
AU - Simon, Justin
AU - Steele, Andrew
AU - Tate, Christian
AU - Treiman, Allan
AU - Uckert, Kyle
AU - Williams, Amy J.
AU - Yanchilina, Anastasia
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover has examined and sampled sulfate-rich clastic rocks from the Hogwallow Flats member at Hawksbill Gap and the Yori Pass member at Cape Nukshak. Both strata are located on the Jezero crater western fan front, are lithologically and stratigraphically similar, and have been assigned to the Shenandoah formation. In situ analyses demonstrate that these are fine-grained sandstones composed of phyllosilicates, hematite, Ca-sulfates, Fe-Mg-sulfates, ferric sulfates, and possibly chloride salts. Sulfate minerals are found both as depositional grains and diagenetic features, including intergranular cement and vein- and vug-cements. Here, we describe the possibility of various sulfate phases to preserve potential biosignatures and the record of paleoenvironmental conditions in fluid and solid inclusions, based on findings from analog sulfate-rich rocks on Earth. The samples collected from these outcrops, Hazeltop and Bearwallow from Hogwallow Flats, and Kukaklek from Yori Pass, should be examined for such potential biosignatures and environmental indicators upon return to Earth.
AB - The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover has examined and sampled sulfate-rich clastic rocks from the Hogwallow Flats member at Hawksbill Gap and the Yori Pass member at Cape Nukshak. Both strata are located on the Jezero crater western fan front, are lithologically and stratigraphically similar, and have been assigned to the Shenandoah formation. In situ analyses demonstrate that these are fine-grained sandstones composed of phyllosilicates, hematite, Ca-sulfates, Fe-Mg-sulfates, ferric sulfates, and possibly chloride salts. Sulfate minerals are found both as depositional grains and diagenetic features, including intergranular cement and vein- and vug-cements. Here, we describe the possibility of various sulfate phases to preserve potential biosignatures and the record of paleoenvironmental conditions in fluid and solid inclusions, based on findings from analog sulfate-rich rocks on Earth. The samples collected from these outcrops, Hazeltop and Bearwallow from Hogwallow Flats, and Kukaklek from Yori Pass, should be examined for such potential biosignatures and environmental indicators upon return to Earth.
U2 - 10.1029/2023JE008155
DO - 10.1029/2023JE008155
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0148-0227
VL - 129
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
IS - 2
M1 - e2023JE008155.
ER -