Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars

N. Mangold; S. Gupta; O. Gasnault; G. Dromart; J. D. Tarnas; S. F. Sholes; B. Horgan; C. Quantin-Nataf; A. J. Brown; S. Le Mouélic; R. A. Yingst; J. F. Bell; O. Beyssac; T. Bosak; F. Calef; B. L. Ehlmann; K. A. Farley; J. P. Grotzinger; K. Hickman-Lewis; S. Holm-Alwmark; L. C. Kah; J. Martinez-Frias; S. M. McLennan; S. Maurice; J. I. Nuñez; A. M. Ollila; P. Pilleri; J. W. Rice; M. Rice; J. I. Simon; D. L. Shuster; K. M. Stack; V. Z. Sun; A. H. Treiman; B. P. Weiss; R. C. Wiens; A. J. Williams; N. R. Williams; K. H. Williford

doi:10.1126/science.abl4051

Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars

N. Mangold, S. Gupta, O. Gasnault, G. Dromart, J. D. Tarnas, S. F. Sholes, B. Horgan, C. Quantin-Nataf, A. J. Brown, S. Le Mouélic, R. A. Yingst, J. F. Bell, O. Beyssac, T. Bosak, F. Calef, B. L. Ehlmann, K. A. Farley, J. P. Grotzinger, K. Hickman-Lewis, S. Holm-AlwmarkL. C. Kah, J. Martinez-Frias, S. M. McLennan, S. Maurice, J. I. Nuñez, A. M. Ollila, P. Pilleri, J. W. Rice, M. Rice, J. I. Simon, D. L. Shuster, K. M. Stack, V. Z. Sun, A. H. Treiman, B. P. Weiss, R. C. Wiens, A. J. Williams, N. R. Williams, K. H. Williford

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

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

81 Scopus citations

Abstract

Observations from orbital spacecraft have shown that Jezero crater on Mars contains a prominent fan-shaped body of sedimentary rock deposited at its western margin. The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater in February 2021. We analyze images taken by the rover in the 3 months after landing. The fan has outcrop faces, which were invisible from orbit, that record the hydrological evolution of Jezero crater. We interpret the presence of inclined strata in these outcrops as evidence of deltas that advanced into a lake. In contrast, the uppermost fan strata are composed of boulder conglomerates, which imply deposition by episodic high-energy floods. This sedimentary succession indicates a transition from sustained hydrologic activity in a persistent lake environment to highly energetic short-duration fluvial flows.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	A38
Journal	Science
Volume	374
Issue number	6568
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abl4051
State	Published - Nov 5 2021

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Mangold, N., Gupta, S., Gasnault, O., Dromart, G., Tarnas, J. D., Sholes, S. F., Horgan, B., Quantin-Nataf, C., Brown, A. J., Mouélic, S. L., Yingst, R. A., Bell, J. F., Beyssac, O., Bosak, T., Calef, F., Ehlmann, B. L., Farley, K. A., Grotzinger, J. P., Hickman-Lewis, K., ... Williford, K. H. (2021). Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars. Science, 374(6568), Article A38. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abl4051

Mangold, N, Gupta, S, Gasnault, O, Dromart, G, Tarnas, JD, Sholes, SF, Horgan, B, Quantin-Nataf, C, Brown, AJ, Mouélic, SL, Yingst, RA, Bell, JF, Beyssac, O, Bosak, T, Calef, F, Ehlmann, BL, Farley, KA, Grotzinger, JP, Hickman-Lewis, K, Holm-Alwmark, S, Kah, LC, Martinez-Frias, J, McLennan, SM, Maurice, S, Nuñez, JI, Ollila, AM, Pilleri, P, Rice, JW, Rice, M, Simon, JI, Shuster, DL, Stack, KM, Sun, VZ, Treiman, AH, Weiss, BP, Wiens, RC, Williams, AJ, Williams, NR & Williford, KH 2021, 'Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars', Science, vol. 374, no. 6568, A38. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abl4051

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title = "Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars",

abstract = "Observations from orbital spacecraft have shown that Jezero crater on Mars contains a prominent fan-shaped body of sedimentary rock deposited at its western margin. The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater in February 2021. We analyze images taken by the rover in the 3 months after landing. The fan has outcrop faces, which were invisible from orbit, that record the hydrological evolution of Jezero crater. We interpret the presence of inclined strata in these outcrops as evidence of deltas that advanced into a lake. In contrast, the uppermost fan strata are composed of boulder conglomerates, which imply deposition by episodic high-energy floods. This sedimentary succession indicates a transition from sustained hydrologic activity in a persistent lake environment to highly energetic short-duration fluvial flows.",

author = "N. Mangold and S. Gupta and O. Gasnault and G. Dromart and Tarnas, {J. D.} and Sholes, {S. F.} and B. Horgan and C. Quantin-Nataf and Brown, {A. J.} and Mou{\'e}lic, {S. Le} and Yingst, {R. A.} and Bell, {J. F.} and O. Beyssac and T. Bosak and F. Calef and Ehlmann, {B. L.} and Farley, {K. A.} and Grotzinger, {J. P.} and K. Hickman-Lewis and S. Holm-Alwmark and Kah, {L. C.} and J. Martinez-Frias and McLennan, {S. M.} and S. Maurice and Nu{\~n}ez, {J. I.} and Ollila, {A. M.} and P. Pilleri and Rice, {J. W.} and M. Rice and Simon, {J. I.} and Shuster, {D. L.} and Stack, {K. M.} and Sun, {V. Z.} and Treiman, {A. H.} and Weiss, {B. P.} and Wiens, {R. C.} and Williams, {A. J.} and Williams, {N. R.} and Williford, {K. H.}",

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doi = "10.1126/science.abl4051",

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T1 - Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars

AU - Mangold, N.

AU - Gupta, S.

AU - Gasnault, O.

AU - Dromart, G.

AU - Tarnas, J. D.

AU - Sholes, S. F.

AU - Horgan, B.

AU - Quantin-Nataf, C.

AU - Brown, A. J.

AU - Mouélic, S. Le

AU - Yingst, R. A.

AU - Bell, J. F.

AU - Beyssac, O.

AU - Bosak, T.

AU - Calef, F.

AU - Ehlmann, B. L.

AU - Farley, K. A.

AU - Grotzinger, J. P.

AU - Hickman-Lewis, K.

AU - Holm-Alwmark, S.

AU - Kah, L. C.

AU - Martinez-Frias, J.

AU - McLennan, S. M.

AU - Maurice, S.

AU - Nuñez, J. I.

AU - Ollila, A. M.

AU - Pilleri, P.

AU - Rice, J. W.

AU - Rice, M.

AU - Simon, J. I.

AU - Shuster, D. L.

AU - Stack, K. M.

AU - Sun, V. Z.

AU - Treiman, A. H.

AU - Weiss, B. P.

AU - Wiens, R. C.

AU - Williams, A. J.

AU - Williams, N. R.

AU - Williford, K. H.

PY - 2021/11/5

Y1 - 2021/11/5

N2 - Observations from orbital spacecraft have shown that Jezero crater on Mars contains a prominent fan-shaped body of sedimentary rock deposited at its western margin. The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater in February 2021. We analyze images taken by the rover in the 3 months after landing. The fan has outcrop faces, which were invisible from orbit, that record the hydrological evolution of Jezero crater. We interpret the presence of inclined strata in these outcrops as evidence of deltas that advanced into a lake. In contrast, the uppermost fan strata are composed of boulder conglomerates, which imply deposition by episodic high-energy floods. This sedimentary succession indicates a transition from sustained hydrologic activity in a persistent lake environment to highly energetic short-duration fluvial flows.

AB - Observations from orbital spacecraft have shown that Jezero crater on Mars contains a prominent fan-shaped body of sedimentary rock deposited at its western margin. The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater in February 2021. We analyze images taken by the rover in the 3 months after landing. The fan has outcrop faces, which were invisible from orbit, that record the hydrological evolution of Jezero crater. We interpret the presence of inclined strata in these outcrops as evidence of deltas that advanced into a lake. In contrast, the uppermost fan strata are composed of boulder conglomerates, which imply deposition by episodic high-energy floods. This sedimentary succession indicates a transition from sustained hydrologic activity in a persistent lake environment to highly energetic short-duration fluvial flows.

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JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6568

M1 - A38

ER -

Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars

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