Enigmatic rock layer in Mars' Galecrater awaits measurements by the Curiosityrover jgrplanets
A new paper led by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Catherine Weitz takes a new look at an enigmatic feature seen in orbital data of Mount Sharp, a 5.5-kilometer-high mound in Gale crater: a darker, stronger, flatter, smooth rock layer or weathering horizon that stands out from the sulfate-bearing rocks in which it occurs.
"Some event occurred within Gale crater during the deposition of sulfate-bearing sediments that resulted in a different kind of rock unit. The marker horizon is distinct in appearance from the sulfate-bearing rocks above and below it, indicating an environmental change occurred for a brief time, such as a drier period, or perhaps a regional event like an explosive eruption from a nearby volcano that deposited ash across a large area which included Gale crater," Weitz said.
"We used orbital data collected from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment , Context Camera , and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars instruments on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to map out where this marker horizon occurs throughout Mount Sharp and study its appearance and composition. We found that the marker horizon varies in its elevation by 1.
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