Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars

J.P. Grotzinger; S. Gupta; M. C. Malin; D. M. Rubin; J. Schieber; K. Siebach; D.Y. Sumner; K.M. Stack; A.R. Vasavada; R.E. Arvidson; F. Calef; Lauren A. Edgar; W. F. Fischer; J.A. Grant; J.L. Griffes; L.C. Kah; M.P. Lamb; K.W. Lewis; N. Mangold; M.E. Minitti; M.C. Palucis; M. Rice; R.M.E. Williams; R.A. Yingst; D. Blake; D. Blaney; P. Conrad; J.A. Crisp; W. E. Dietrich; G. Dromart; K.S. Edgett; R.C. Ewing; R. Gellert; J.A. Hurowitz; G. Kocurek; P.G. Mahaffy; M.J. McBride; S. M. McLennan; M.A. Mischna; D. Ming; R.E. Milliken; H. Newsom; D. Oehler; T. J. Parker; D. Vaniman; R. C. Wiens; S. A. Wilson

doi:10.1126/science.aac7575

Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars

Science

By: J.P. Grotzinger, S. Gupta, M. C. Malin, D. M. Rubin, J. Schieber, K. Siebach, D.Y. Sumner, K.M. Stack, A.R. Vasavada, R.E. Arvidson, F. Calef, Lauren A. Edgar, W. F. Fischer, J.A. Grant, J.L. Griffes, L.C. Kah, M.P. Lamb, K.W. Lewis, N. Mangold, M.E. Minitti, M.C. Palucis, M. Rice, R.M.E. Williams, R.A. Yingst, D. Blake, D. Blaney, P. Conrad, J.A. Crisp, W. E. Dietrich, G. Dromart, K.S. Edgett, R.C. Ewing, R. Gellert, J.A. Hurowitz, G. Kocurek, P.G. Mahaffy, M.J. McBride, S. M. McLennan, M.A. Mischna, D. Ming, R.E. Milliken, H. Newsom, D. Oehler, T. J. Parker, D. Vaniman, R. C. Wiens, and S. A. Wilson

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac7575

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Abstract

The landforms of northern Gale crater on Mars expose thick sequences of sedimentary rocks. Based on images obtained by the Curiosity rover, we interpret these outcrops as evidence for past fluvial, deltaic, and lacustrine environments. Degradation of the crater wall and rim probably supplied these sediments, which advanced inward from the wall, infilling both the crater and an internal lake basin to a thickness of at least 75 meters. This intracrater lake system probably existed intermittently for thousands to millions of years, implying a relatively wet climate that supplied moisture to the crater rim and transported sediment via streams into the lake basin. The deposits in Gale crater were then exhumed, probably by wind-driven erosion, creating Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp).

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars
Series title	Science
DOI	10.1126/science.aac7575
Volume	350
Issue	6257
Year Published	2015
Language	English
Publisher	American Association for the Advancement of Science
Publisher location	New York, NY
Contributing office(s)	Astrogeology Science Center
Larger Work Type	Article
Larger Work Subtype	Journal Article
Larger Work Title	Science
Other Geospatial	Gale crater, Mars
Online Only (Y/N)	N
Additional Online Files (Y/N)	N
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