Formation of Tridymite and Evidence for a Hydrothermal History at Gale Crater, Mars

A. S. Yen; R. V. Morris; D. W. Ming; S. P. Schwenzer; B. Sutter; D. T. Vaniman; A. H. Treiman; R. Gellert; C. N. Achilles; J. A. Berger; D. F. Blake; N. I. Boyd; T. F. Bristow; S. Chipera; B. C. Clark; P. I. Craig; R. T. Downs; H. B. Franz; T. Gabriel; A. C. McAdam; S. M. Morrison; C. D. O’Connell-Cooper; E. B. Rampe; M. E. Schmidt; L. M. Thompson; S. J. VanBommel

doi:10.1029/2020JE006569

Formation of Tridymite and Evidence for a Hydrothermal History at Gale Crater, Mars

A. S. Yen, R. V. Morris, D. W. Ming, S. P. Schwenzer, B. Sutter, D. T. Vaniman, A. H. Treiman, R. Gellert, C. N. Achilles, J. A. Berger, D. F. Blake, N. I. Boyd, T. F. Bristow, S. Chipera, B. C. Clark, P. I. Craig, R. T. Downs, H. B. Franz, T. Gabriel, A. C. McAdamS. M. Morrison, C. D. O’Connell-Cooper, E. B. Rampe, M. E. Schmidt, L. M. Thompson, S. J. VanBommel

Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

36 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e2020JE006569
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Volume	126
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JE006569
State	Published - Mar 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
Geochemistry and Petrology
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Space and Planetary Science

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Yen, A. S., Morris, R. V., Ming, D. W., Schwenzer, S. P., Sutter, B., Vaniman, D. T., Treiman, A. H., Gellert, R., Achilles, C. N., Berger, J. A., Blake, D. F., Boyd, N. I., Bristow, T. F., Chipera, S., Clark, B. C., Craig, P. I., Downs, R. T., Franz, H. B., Gabriel, T., ... VanBommel, S. J. (2021). Formation of Tridymite and Evidence for a Hydrothermal History at Gale Crater, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 126(3), Article e2020JE006569. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JE006569

Yen, AS, Morris, RV, Ming, DW, Schwenzer, SP, Sutter, B, Vaniman, DT, Treiman, AH, Gellert, R, Achilles, CN, Berger, JA, Blake, DF, Boyd, NI, Bristow, TF, Chipera, S, Clark, BC, Craig, PI, Downs, RT, Franz, HB, Gabriel, T, McAdam, AC, Morrison, SM, O’Connell-Cooper, CD, Rampe, EB, Schmidt, ME, Thompson, LM & VanBommel, SJ 2021, 'Formation of Tridymite and Evidence for a Hydrothermal History at Gale Crater, Mars', Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, vol. 126, no. 3, e2020JE006569. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JE006569

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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.}",

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AU - Yen, A. S.

AU - Morris, R. V.

AU - Ming, D. W.

AU - Schwenzer, S. P.

AU - Sutter, B.

AU - Vaniman, D. T.

AU - Treiman, A. H.

AU - Gellert, R.

AU - Achilles, C. N.

AU - Berger, J. A.

AU - Blake, D. F.

AU - Boyd, N. I.

AU - Bristow, T. F.

AU - Chipera, S.

AU - Clark, B. C.

AU - Craig, P. I.

AU - Downs, R. T.

AU - Franz, H. B.

AU - Gabriel, T.

AU - McAdam, A. C.

AU - Morrison, S. M.

AU - O’Connell-Cooper, C. D.

AU - Rampe, E. B.

AU - Schmidt, M. E.

AU - Thompson, L. M.

AU - VanBommel, S. J.

PY - 2021/3

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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Formation of Tridymite and Evidence for a Hydrothermal History at Gale Crater, Mars

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