6533b836fe1ef96bd12a13f1

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Jarosite and hematite at Meridiani Planum from Opportunity's Mossbauer Spectrometer.

B. BernhardtChristian SchröderSteven W. SquyresPhilipp GütlichP. A. De SouzaE. N. EvlanovUwe BonnesR. V. MorrisJ. FohJ. FohFranz RenzRalf GellertE. KankeleitThomas J. WdowiakDaniel RodionovGöstar KlingelhöferB. ZubkovAlbert S. YenD. W. MingRaymond E. Arvidson

subject

Meridiani PlanumGeologic SedimentsExtraterrestrial EnvironmentOutcropMineralogyMagnesium CompoundsMarsengineering.materialFerric CompoundsSpectroscopy MossbauerImpact craterConcretionJarositeComposition of MarsSpacecraftMineralsMultidisciplinaryMineralSulfatesSilicatesWaterHematitevisual_artvisual_art.visual_art_mediumengineeringGeologyIron Compounds

description

Mössbauer spectra measured by the Opportunity rover revealed four mineralogical components in Meridiani Planum at Eagle crater: jarosite- and hematite-rich outcrop, hematite-rich soil, olivine-bearing basaltic soil, and a pyroxene-bearing basaltic rock (Bounce rock). Spherules, interpreted to be concretions, are hematite-rich and dispersed throughout the outcrop. Hematitic soils both within and outside Eagle crater are dominated by spherules and their fragments. Olivine-bearing basaltic soil is present throughout the region. Bounce rock is probably an impact erratic. Because jarosite is a hydroxide sulfate mineral, its presence at Meridiani Planum is mineralogical evidence for aqueous processes on Mars, probably under acid-sulfate conditions.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2004-12-04Science (New York, N.Y.)
10.1126/science.1104653https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15576610