Two years at Meridiani Planum: Results from the opportunity rover

S. W. Squyres; A. H. Knoll; R. E. Arvidson; B. C. Clark; J. P. Grotzinger; B. L. Jolliff; S. M. McLennan; N. Tosca; J. F. Bell; W. M. Calvin; W. H. Farrand; T. D. Glotch; M. P. Golombek; K. E. Herkenhoff; J. R. Johnson; G. Klingelhöfer; H. Y. McSween; A. S. Yen

doi:10.1126/science.1130890

Two years at Meridiani Planum: Results from the opportunity rover

S. W. Squyres, A. H. Knoll, R. E. Arvidson, B. C. Clark, J. P. Grotzinger, B. L. Jolliff, S. M. McLennan, N. Tosca, J. F. Bell, W. M. Calvin, W. H. Farrand, T. D. Glotch, M. P. Golombek, K. E. Herkenhoff, J. R. Johnson, G. Klingelhöfer, H. Y. McSween, A. S. Yen

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Abstract

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has spent more than 2 years exploring Meridiani Planum, traveling ∼8 kilometers and detecting features that reveal ancient environmental conditions. These include well-developed festoon (trough) cross-lamination formed in flowing liquid water, strata with smaller and more abundant hematite-rich concretions than those seen previously, possible relict "hopper crystals" that might reflect the formation of halite, thick weathering rinds on rock surfaces, resistant fracture fills, and networks of polygonal fractures likely caused by dehydration of sulfate salts. Chemical variations with depth show that the siliciclastic fraction of outcrop rock has undergone substantial chemical alteration from a precursor basaltic composition. Observations from microscopic to orbital scales indicate that ancient Meridiani once had abundant acidic groundwater, arid and oxidizing surface conditions, and occasional liquid flow on the surface.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1403-1407
Number of pages	5
Journal	Science
Volume	313
Issue number	5792
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1130890
State	Published - Sep 8 2006
Externally published	Yes

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Squyres, S. W., Knoll, A. H., Arvidson, R. E., Clark, B. C., Grotzinger, J. P., Jolliff, B. L., McLennan, S. M., Tosca, N., Bell, J. F., Calvin, W. M., Farrand, W. H., Glotch, T. D., Golombek, M. P., Herkenhoff, K. E., Johnson, J. R., Klingelhöfer, G., McSween, H. Y., & Yen, A. S. (2006). Two years at Meridiani Planum: Results from the opportunity rover. Science, 313(5792), 1403-1407. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1130890

Squyres, SW, Knoll, AH, Arvidson, RE, Clark, BC, Grotzinger, JP, Jolliff, BL, McLennan, SM, Tosca, N, Bell, JF, Calvin, WM, Farrand, WH, Glotch, TD, Golombek, MP, Herkenhoff, KE, Johnson, JR, Klingelhöfer, G, McSween, HY & Yen, AS 2006, 'Two years at Meridiani Planum: Results from the opportunity rover', Science, vol. 313, no. 5792, pp. 1403-1407. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1130890

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abstract = "The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has spent more than 2 years exploring Meridiani Planum, traveling ∼8 kilometers and detecting features that reveal ancient environmental conditions. These include well-developed festoon (trough) cross-lamination formed in flowing liquid water, strata with smaller and more abundant hematite-rich concretions than those seen previously, possible relict {"}hopper crystals{"} that might reflect the formation of halite, thick weathering rinds on rock surfaces, resistant fracture fills, and networks of polygonal fractures likely caused by dehydration of sulfate salts. Chemical variations with depth show that the siliciclastic fraction of outcrop rock has undergone substantial chemical alteration from a precursor basaltic composition. Observations from microscopic to orbital scales indicate that ancient Meridiani once had abundant acidic groundwater, arid and oxidizing surface conditions, and occasional liquid flow on the surface.",

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Two years at Meridiani Planum: Results from the opportunity rover

Abstract

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