TY - JOUR
T1 - Regolith of the Crater Floor Units, Jezero Crater, Mars
T2 - Textures, Composition, and Implications for Provenance
AU - Vaughan, Alicia
AU - Minitti, Michelle E.
AU - Cardarelli, Emily L.
AU - Johnson, Jeffrey R.
AU - Kah, Linda C.
AU - Pilleri, Paolo
AU - Rice, Melissa S.
AU - Sephton, Mark
AU - Horgan, Briony H.N.
AU - Wiens, Roger C.
AU - Yingst, R. Aileen
AU - Zorzano Mier, Maria Paz
AU - Anderson, Ryan
AU - Bell, James F.
AU - Brown, Adrian J.
AU - Cloutis, Edward A.
AU - Cousin, Agnes
AU - Herkenhoff, Kenneth E.
AU - Hausrath, Elisabeth M.
AU - Hayes, Alexander G.
AU - Kinch, Kjartan
AU - Merusi, Marco
AU - Million, Chase C.
AU - Sullivan, Robert
AU - Siljeström, Sandra M.
AU - St. Clair, Michael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023. The Authors.
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - A multi-instrument study of the regolith of Jezero crater floor units by the Perseverance rover has identified three types of regolith: fine-grained, coarse-grained, and mixed-type. Mastcam-Z, Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering, and SuperCam Remote Micro Imager were used to characterize the regolith texture, particle size, and roundedness where possible. Mastcam-Z multispectral and SuperCam laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy data were used to constrain the composition of the regolith types. Fine-grained regolith is found surrounding bedrock and boulders, comprising bedforms, and accumulating on top of rocks in erosional depressions. Spectral and chemical data show it is compositionally consistent with pyroxene and a ferric-oxide phase. Coarse-grained regolith consists of 1–2 mm well-sorted gray grains that are found concentrated around the base of boulders and bedrock, and armoring bedforms. Its chemistry and spectra indicate it is olivine-bearing, and its spatial distribution and roundedness indicate it has been transported, likely by saltation-induced creep. Coarse grains share similarities with the olivine grains observed in the Séítah formation bedrock, making that unit a possible source for these grains. Mixed-type regolith contains fine- and coarse-grained regolith components and larger rock fragments. The rock fragments are texturally and spectrally similar to bedrock within the Máaz and Séítah formations, indicating origins by erosion from those units, although they could also be a lag deposit from erosion of an overlying unit. The fine- and coarse-grained types are compared to their counterparts at other landing sites to inform global, regional, and local inputs to regolith formation within Jezero crater. The regolith characterization presented here informs the regolith sampling efforts underway by Perseverance.
AB - A multi-instrument study of the regolith of Jezero crater floor units by the Perseverance rover has identified three types of regolith: fine-grained, coarse-grained, and mixed-type. Mastcam-Z, Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering, and SuperCam Remote Micro Imager were used to characterize the regolith texture, particle size, and roundedness where possible. Mastcam-Z multispectral and SuperCam laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy data were used to constrain the composition of the regolith types. Fine-grained regolith is found surrounding bedrock and boulders, comprising bedforms, and accumulating on top of rocks in erosional depressions. Spectral and chemical data show it is compositionally consistent with pyroxene and a ferric-oxide phase. Coarse-grained regolith consists of 1–2 mm well-sorted gray grains that are found concentrated around the base of boulders and bedrock, and armoring bedforms. Its chemistry and spectra indicate it is olivine-bearing, and its spatial distribution and roundedness indicate it has been transported, likely by saltation-induced creep. Coarse grains share similarities with the olivine grains observed in the Séítah formation bedrock, making that unit a possible source for these grains. Mixed-type regolith contains fine- and coarse-grained regolith components and larger rock fragments. The rock fragments are texturally and spectrally similar to bedrock within the Máaz and Séítah formations, indicating origins by erosion from those units, although they could also be a lag deposit from erosion of an overlying unit. The fine- and coarse-grained types are compared to their counterparts at other landing sites to inform global, regional, and local inputs to regolith formation within Jezero crater. The regolith characterization presented here informs the regolith sampling efforts underway by Perseverance.
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U2 - 10.1029/2022JE007437
DO - 10.1029/2022JE007437
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85151268354
SN - 2169-9097
VL - 128
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
IS - 3
M1 - e2022JE007437
ER -