@article{21da3f46dcdf47e3be6a3d92fa8a2216,
title = "Formation of Tridymite and Evidence for a Hydrothermal History at Gale Crater, Mars",
abstract = "In August 2015, the Curiosity Mars rover discovered tridymite, a high-temperature silica polymorph, in Gale crater. The existing model for its occurrence suggests erosion and detrital sedimentation from silicic volcanic rocks in the crater rim or central peak. The chemistry and mineralogy of the tridymite-bearing rocks, however, are not consistent with silicic volcanic material. Using data from Curiosity, including chemical composition from the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer, mineralogy from the CheMin instrument, and evolved gas and isotopic analyses from the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument, we show that the tridymite-bearing rocks exhibit similar chemical patterns with silica-rich alteration halos which crosscut the stratigraphy. We infer that the tridymite formed in-place through hydrothermal processes and show additional chemical and mineralogical results from Gale crater consistent with hydrothermal activity occurring after sediment deposition and lithification.",
author = "Yen, {A. S.} and Morris, {R. V.} and Ming, {D. W.} and Schwenzer, {S. P.} and B. Sutter and Vaniman, {D. T.} and Treiman, {A. H.} and R. Gellert and Achilles, {C. N.} and Berger, {J. A.} and Blake, {D. F.} and Boyd, {N. I.} and Bristow, {T. F.} and S. Chipera and Clark, {B. C.} and Craig, {P. I.} and Downs, {R. T.} and Franz, {H. B.} and T. Gabriel and McAdam, {A. C.} and Morrison, {S. M.} and O{\textquoteright}Connell-Cooper, {C. D.} and Rampe, {E. B.} and Schmidt, {M. E.} and Thompson, {L. M.} and VanBommel, {S. J.}",
note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission. A portion of this work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. The authors thank Hap McSween, Edwin Kite, Janice Bishop, and anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions improved this manuscript. Funding Information: This research was supported by the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission. A portion of this work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. The authors thank Hap McSween, Edwin Kite, Janice Bishop, and anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions improved this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021. The Authors.",
year = "2021",
month = mar,
doi = "10.1029/2020JE006569",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "126",
journal = "Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets",
issn = "2169-9097",
number = "3",
}