A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars

J. P. Grotzinger; D. Y. Sumner; L. C. Kah; K. Stack; S. Gupta; L. Edgar; D. Rubin; K. Lewis; J. Schieber; N. Mangold; R. Milliken; P. G. Conrad; D. DesMarais; Jack Farmer; K. Siebach; F. Calef; J. Hurowitz; S. M. McLennan; D. Ming; D. Vaniman; J. Crisp; A. Vasavada; K. S. Edgett; M. Malin; D. Blake; R. Gellert; P. Mahaffy; R. C. Wiens; S. Maurice; J. A. Grant; S. Wilson; R. C. Anderson; L. Beegle; R. Arvidson; B. Hallet; R. S. Sletten; M. Rice; James Bell; J. Griffes; B. Ehlmann; R. B. Anderson; T. F. Bristow; W. E. Dietrich; G. Dromart; J. Eigenbrode; A. Fraeman; Craig Hardgrove; K. Herkenhoff; L. Jandura; G. Kocurek; S. Lee; L. A. Leshin; R. Leveille; D. Limonadi; J. Maki; S. McCloskey; M. Meyer; M. Minitti; H. Newsom; D. Oehler; A. Okon; M. Palucis; T. Parker; S. Rowland; M. Schmidt; S. Squyres; A. Steele; E. Stolper; R. Summons; A. Treiman; R. Williams; A. Yingst

doi:10.1126/science.1242777

A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars

J. P. Grotzinger, D. Y. Sumner, L. C. Kah, K. Stack, S. Gupta, L. Edgar, D. Rubin, K. Lewis, J. Schieber, N. Mangold, R. Milliken, P. G. Conrad, D. DesMarais, Jack Farmer, K. Siebach, F. Calef, J. Hurowitz, S. M. McLennan, D. Ming, D. VanimanJ. Crisp, A. Vasavada, K. S. Edgett, M. Malin, D. Blake, R. Gellert, P. Mahaffy, R. C. Wiens, S. Maurice, J. A. Grant, S. Wilson, R. C. Anderson, L. Beegle, R. Arvidson, B. Hallet, R. S. Sletten, M. Rice, James Bell, J. Griffes, B. Ehlmann, R. B. Anderson, T. F. Bristow, W. E. Dietrich, G. Dromart, J. Eigenbrode, A. Fraeman, Craig Hardgrove, K. Herkenhoff, L. Jandura, G. Kocurek, S. Lee, L. A. Leshin, R. Leveille, D. Limonadi, J. Maki, S. McCloskey, M. Meyer, M. Minitti, H. Newsom, D. Oehler, A. Okon, M. Palucis, T. Parker, S. Rowland, M. Schmidt, S. Squyres, A. Steele, E. Stolper, R. Summons, A. Treiman, R. Williams, A. Yingst

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

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

729 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Curiosity rover discovered fine-grained sedimentary rocks, which are inferred to represent an ancient lake and preserve evidence of an environment that would have been suited to support a martian biosphere founded on chemolithoautotrophy. This aqueous environment was characterized by neutral pH, low salinity, and variable redox states of both iron and sulfur species. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus were measured directly as key biogenic elements; by inference, phosphorus is assumed to have been available. The environment probably had a minimum duration of hundreds to tens of thousands of years. These results highlight the biological viability of fluvial-lacustrine environments in the post-Noachian history of Mars.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	1242777
Journal	Science
Volume	343
Issue number	6169
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1242777
State	Published - 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Grotzinger, J. P., Sumner, D. Y., Kah, L. C., Stack, K., Gupta, S., Edgar, L., Rubin, D., Lewis, K., Schieber, J., Mangold, N., Milliken, R., Conrad, P. G., DesMarais, D., Farmer, J., Siebach, K., Calef, F., Hurowitz, J., McLennan, S. M., Ming, D., ... Yingst, A. (2014). A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. Science, 343(6169), Article 1242777. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1242777

Grotzinger, JP, Sumner, DY, Kah, LC, Stack, K, Gupta, S, Edgar, L, Rubin, D, Lewis, K, Schieber, J, Mangold, N, Milliken, R, Conrad, PG, DesMarais, D, Farmer, J, Siebach, K, Calef, F, Hurowitz, J, McLennan, SM, Ming, D, Vaniman, D, Crisp, J, Vasavada, A, Edgett, KS, Malin, M, Blake, D, Gellert, R, Mahaffy, P, Wiens, RC, Maurice, S, Grant, JA, Wilson, S, Anderson, RC, Beegle, L, Arvidson, R, Hallet, B, Sletten, RS, Rice, M, Bell, J, Griffes, J, Ehlmann, B, Anderson, RB, Bristow, TF, Dietrich, WE, Dromart, G, Eigenbrode, J, Fraeman, A, Hardgrove, C, Herkenhoff, K, Jandura, L, Kocurek, G, Lee, S, Leshin, LA, Leveille, R, Limonadi, D, Maki, J, McCloskey, S, Meyer, M, Minitti, M, Newsom, H, Oehler, D, Okon, A, Palucis, M, Parker, T, Rowland, S, Schmidt, M, Squyres, S, Steele, A, Stolper, E, Summons, R, Treiman, A, Williams, R & Yingst, A 2014, 'A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars', Science, vol. 343, no. 6169, 1242777. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1242777

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title = "A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars",

abstract = "The Curiosity rover discovered fine-grained sedimentary rocks, which are inferred to represent an ancient lake and preserve evidence of an environment that would have been suited to support a martian biosphere founded on chemolithoautotrophy. This aqueous environment was characterized by neutral pH, low salinity, and variable redox states of both iron and sulfur species. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus were measured directly as key biogenic elements; by inference, phosphorus is assumed to have been available. The environment probably had a minimum duration of hundreds to tens of thousands of years. These results highlight the biological viability of fluvial-lacustrine environments in the post-Noachian history of Mars.",

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AU - Sumner, D. Y.

AU - Kah, L. C.

AU - Stack, K.

AU - Gupta, S.

AU - Edgar, L.

AU - Rubin, D.

AU - Lewis, K.

AU - Schieber, J.

AU - Mangold, N.

AU - Milliken, R.

AU - Conrad, P. G.

AU - DesMarais, D.

AU - Farmer, Jack

AU - Siebach, K.

AU - Calef, F.

AU - Hurowitz, J.

AU - McLennan, S. M.

AU - Ming, D.

AU - Vaniman, D.

AU - Crisp, J.

AU - Vasavada, A.

AU - Edgett, K. S.

AU - Malin, M.

AU - Blake, D.

AU - Gellert, R.

AU - Mahaffy, P.

AU - Wiens, R. C.

AU - Maurice, S.

AU - Grant, J. A.

AU - Wilson, S.

AU - Anderson, R. C.

AU - Beegle, L.

AU - Arvidson, R.

AU - Hallet, B.

AU - Sletten, R. S.

AU - Rice, M.

AU - Bell, James

AU - Griffes, J.

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AU - Kocurek, G.

AU - Lee, S.

AU - Leshin, L. A.

AU - Leveille, R.

AU - Limonadi, D.

AU - Maki, J.

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AU - Okon, A.

AU - Palucis, M.

AU - Parker, T.

AU - Rowland, S.

AU - Schmidt, M.

AU - Squyres, S.

AU - Steele, A.

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A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars

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