Desiccation cracks provide evidence of lake drying on Mars, Sutton Island member, Murray formation, Gale Crater

N. Stein (1) , J.P. P Grotzinger (1) , J. Schieber (2) , Nicolas Mangold (3) , B. Hallet (4) , H. Newsom (5) , K.M. M Stack (6) , Arjan Berger , L. Thompson , K.L. L Siebach , A. Cousin (7) , Stéphane Le Mouélic (3) , M. Minitti (8) , D.Y. y Sumner , C. Fedo , C.H. H House , S. Gupta , A.R. R Vasavada (6) , R. Gellert (9) , R. C Wiens (10) , J. Frydenvang (11) , O. Forni (7) , P. y Meslin (7) , V. Payré (12) , E. Dehouck (13)

1 CALTECH - California Institute of Technology
2 Department of Geological Sciences [Bloomington]
3 LPG - Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique [UMR 6112]
4 Department of Earth and Space Sciences [Seattle]
5 IOM - Institute of Meteoritics [Albuquerque]
6 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
7 IRAP - Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie
8 SESE - ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration
9 Department of Physics [Guelph]
10 LANL - Los Alamos National Laboratory
11 UCPH - University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet
12 UL - Université de Lorraine
13 LGL-TPE - Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon - Terre, Planètes, Environnement

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover data are used to describe the morphology of desiccation cracks observed in ancient lacustrine strata at Gale crater, Mars, and to interpret their paleoenvironmental setting. The desiccation cracks indicate subaerial exposure of lacustrine facies in the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation. In association with ripple cross-stratification and possible eolian cross-bedding, these facies indicate a transition from longer-lived perennial lakes recorded by older strata to younger lakes characterized by intermittent exposure. The transition from perennial to episodically exposed lacustrine environments provides evidence for local to regional climate change that can help constrain Mars climate models.

Domaines: Planétologie

N. Stein, J.P. P Grotzinger, J. Schieber, Nicolas Mangold, B. Hallet, et al.. Desiccation cracks provide evidence of lake drying on Mars, Sutton Island member, Murray formation, Gale Crater. Geology, 2018, 46 (6), pp.515-518. ⟨10.1130/G40005.1⟩. ⟨hal-02344657⟩