Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.p41b1277k&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P41B-1277
Physics
5410 Composition (1060, 3672), 5464 Remote Sensing, 5470 Surface Materials And Properties
Scientific paper
The Mars Exploration Rover 'Spirit' at Gusev Crater, Mars, has investigated surface particulate materials, or 'soils' in areas disturbed by rover movement as well as on undisturbed surfaces. In the first 420 sols of operation, soils were measured with the Mini-TES instrument throughout the traverse from the landing site on the plains to the north slope of the Columbia Hills. Three spectral components were identified: (1) dust on undisturbed surfaces and mixed into underlying soils, (2) basaltic sand, and (3) a hydrated sulfate in localized areas of disturbed soil. The modeled mineralogy of the basaltic sand is 40-45% plagioclase feldspar, 20-35% pyroxene, 10-15% olivine, and <10% sulfates or sheet silicates. The composition of the basaltic sand is similar to plains rocks and is homogenous throughout the traverse, even in the Columbia Hills where local rock compositions are distinctly different from the soil. Localized sulfate enrichments were identified in excavated soil from a trench experiment from the plains, three disturbed soils at the base of the Columbia Hills, and on the north slope of Husband Hill. These soils relatively bright and are immediately adjacent to the regionally homogenous basaltic materials. There is no evidence for alteration products in the basaltic components in adjacent soils at the 5-10% level, implying that the sulfate components are not derived from local soils. Ratios of sulfate-rich spectra with adjacent basaltic soil spectra indicate an absorption with a spectral shape and position most consistent with a hydrated Ca-sulfate such as bassanite (2CaSO4*H2O). Deconvolution of bright soil spectra results in a modeled mineralogy including ~25% sulfate, dominated by bassanite. APXS and MB data indicate the presence of iron sulfates, however, no iron sulfate minerals in the Mini-TES mineral library have absorptions consistent with the Mini-TES spectra. Further analysis will include evaluation of additional bright soil observations up to the second Mars winter location, additions of Mg- and Fe-sulfate spectral endmembers, and comparison of derived elemental chemistry with APXS results.
Baldridge Alice M.
Christensen Per Rex
Knudson Amy T.
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