columbus crater - hls2 hangout: exploration zone briefing...2020/01/23 · columbus crater hls2...

Columbus Crater

HLS2 Hangout: Exploration Zone Briefing

Kennda Lynch1,2, Angela Dapremont2, Lauren Kimbrough2, Alex

Sessa2, and James Wray21Lunar and Planetary Institute/Universities Space Research Association

2Georgia Institute of Technology

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Columbus Crater: An OverviewGroundwater-fed paleolake located in

northwest region of Terra Sirenum

~110 km in diameter

Diversity of Noachian & Hesperian

aged deposits and outcrops

High diversity of aqueous mineral

deposits

Estimated 1.5 km depth of

sedimentary and/or volcanic infill

High Habitability and Biosignature

Preservation Potential

LZ & Field Station

Latitude: 194.0194 E

Longitude: 29.2058 S

Altitude: +910 m

SROI #1

SROI #2

SROI #5

SROI #4

RROI #1 LZ/HZ

22 KM

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HiRISE Digital Terrain Model (DTM)HiRISE DTMs are made from two images of the same area

on the ground, taken from different look angles (known as a

stereo-pair)

DTM’s are powerful research tools that allow researchers to

take terrain measurements and model geological processes

For our traversability analysis of Columbus:The HiRISE DTM was processed and completed by the

University of Arizona HiRISE Operations Center.

DTM data were imported into ArcMap 10.5 software and

traverses were acquired and analyzed using the 3D analyst

tool.

A slope map was created in ArcMap to assess slope values

along traverses as a supplement to topography observations.

Slope should be ≤30°to meet human mission requirements.

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ConclusionsTraversability

9 out of the 17 traverses analyzed met the slope

criteria for human missions.

This region of Columbus Crater is traversable and

allows access to regions of astrobiological

interest. It is also a possible access point to other

regions of Terra Sirenum.

ScienceCRISM analyses resulted in observations of

putative Cl-oxyanion salts in the scientific regions

of interest.

These analyses coupled with previous

observations of sulfate-bearing minerals suggest

that physiochemical conditions could have been

habitable for S-driven and Cl-oxyanion driven

microbial ecosystems

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Future Data AnalysisContinued Work

We continue to analyze current available data

from CRISM to learn more about the

mineralogy, aqueous history, resource

availability and habitability of Columbus Crater

Future Data Needed

More high-resolution Images of the crater floor

to determine suitable Landing and Habitation

Zone

More stereo pairs of the northeastern shore so

that we can fully determine the ability to exit

Columbus Crater and explore other terrain.

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Acknowledgements

University of Arizona HiRISE Operations Center

Jen Hanley, Lowell Observatory

Briony Horgan, Purdue University

Funding Sources

NASA Astrobiology Institute

Ford Foundation Fellowship Program

Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract#1008Exploration Zone Briefing:

Gusev Crater

A. Z. Longo

With gratitude to: R. M. Davis, B. Collom, E. Bogat, S. W. Ruff, J. W. Rice, M. Van Kranendonk, K. Campbell, B. Damer, T. Djokic, D. W. Deamer

Why Gusev?

Ground Truth Diverse geologyBiopreservation potential

Abundant Subsurface Ice

EZ Briefing: Columbia Hills/Gusev Crater


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Gusev Crater EZ Overview

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1st HLS2 Workshop

Primary science targets:Hot spring with potential biosignaturesDelta with 400m layered sedimentsMineralogical diversity: clays, carbonates, sulfates, lavas

Primary resources:Etched (glacial?) terrainPingosHydrated phyllosilicates

2nd HLS2 Workshop

Primary science targets:1st Workshop, plus:Globally-distributed olivine-carbonate unitMedussae Fossae Formation (MFF) stratified ash

Primary resources:Subsurface ice?Pedestal cratersPingos

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Executive Summary

All requested HiRISE data has been acquired

Galdakao Crater (ROI 18) contains Medusae Fossae Formation stratified ash, and the valley entering it was likely carved by wind

Castril Crater (ROI 2) contains exposed bedrock, but no apparent layering

Abundant water ice may be present on the floor of the well-preserved crater in ROI 15

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Galdakao Crater: Overview

ESP_045740_1665

Located on the northeast edge of this EZ; shared ROI with proposals 1043 (Kerber et al.) and 1046 (Rice et al.)

Left side of the crater is filled with layered material; right side is filled with Hesperian flood basalts

Crater rim is incised by a dendritic valley

Hypothesis: Galdakao is a Noachian paleolakewith slowly-eroding sediments

Parker et al., 2010

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Galdakao Crater: Sediments

Sediments in Galdakao Crater are finely-layeredMiniature yardangs alternating with smooth plains

Eastern edge of the deposit is actively eroding

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Galdakao Crater: Valley

Valley floor is largely obscured by ripples of dust

No layering is apparent in the walls of the valley

Channels branching off of the main valley are surrounded by undulating, grooved terrain

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Galdakao Crater: Analogs

Lakebed sediments, such as those in Jezero Crater and Holden Crater, are typically light-toned and finely-layered

A large deposit of Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) stratified ash is to the north of Galdakaoitself

MFF deposits typically contain the small, angular mesas seen within the sediment on the floor of Galdakao Crater

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Galdakao Crater: Conclusions

The layered deposit within Galdakao Crater is composed of stratified ash, similar to the rest of the Medusae Fossae Formation

As the MFF is easily eroded, the dendritic valley which intersects the crater rim was most likely carved by wind

Crews could go to the eastern edge of the MFF layers to collect recently-exposed samples

The MFF is likely Amazonian; therefore, Gusev has ancient and modern volcanic deposits co-located in one EZ

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Castril Crater and Etched Terrain: Overview

ESP_060720_1650

Large swaths of Gusev Crater’s floor are covered by etched terrain: knobby, easily-erodible material

The Etched Terrain could be a lacustrine or volcanic deposit

Castril Crater is a 2.2 km diameter impact crater that penetrates one exposure of etched terrain

Hypothesis: Castril Crater could expose a cross-section of the etched terrain, and/or

impact glass preserving biosignatures

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Etched Terrain: Background

Two types of etched terrain are observed in the vicinity of the Columbia HillsSmall, friable olivine knobs sporadically altered to carbonate: Could have been altered by acid rain (Ruff et al., 2018)

Large knobs oriented in one direction: Could be deglaciated terrain (Gregg et al., 2007)

Are the two morphologies part of the same geologic unit?

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Etched Terrain: Results

Castril sits within a deposit of large knobs of etched terrainLocated south of Spirit landing site, nicknamed “Italy”

Separated from the Gusev plains by a steep scarp

Small knobs of etched terrain are observed to the northeast of Castril adjacent to the scarp

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Castril Crater: Results

CRISM cryocooler had failed by the time of this image request, so the search for impact glass could not be completed

Large blocks of ejecta could still potentially contain glass

Crater is filled with dust – no sedimentary layers are exposed

Bedrock is visible in sections of the crater rim

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Castril Crater and Etched Terrain: Conclusions

Castril Crater penetrates the etched terrain, but it does not offer any insight as to their structure

Small and large knobs of etched terrain are located in close proximity. This suggests that they are most likely part of the same unit.

As it is most likely not a glacial feature, the etched terrain is not the best water-ice resource within this EZ

At one point, the floor of Gusev Crater was covered by a regional (global?) unit of olivine

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Concentric Craters: Overview

ESP_045239_1650 AND ESP_053045_1650

Located on the western rim of GusevCrater

Small, well-preserved crater contained within a large, degraded crater

Hypothesis: The craters within this ROI could expose a cross-section of the Noachian crust

surrounding Gusev crater, penetrating deeper than any one crater alone.

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Concentric Craters: Morphology

No layering apparent in the walls of the older crater

Younger crater has well-preserved bedrock exposures around its rim

Layers not visible in younger crater

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Concentric Craters: Ice?

Younger crater has a flat floor

Broken into multiple large blocks, with smooth areas between them

Morphologically similar to ice rafting in Antarctica

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Concentric Craters: Pedestal Craters

Additional indicators for ice are numerous small pedestal craters

Form when a meteor impacts ice-rich ground; ice melts and is protected by impact material (Schon and Head, 2012)

Frequently seen in areas such as Arsia Mons with large subsurface ice deposits

Upon further investigation, multiple pedestal craters are present on the floor of Gusev itself

Concentric Craters: Pedestal Craters


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Concentric Craters: Conclusions

A well-preserved crater within the EZ may contain large amounts of subsurface water ice

Multiple markers, including morphology, pedestal craters, and hydrogen maps, support this assertion

Although it is located a significant distance from the center of the Gusev EZ, it increases the likelihood that other resources could be present in favorable locations

The EZ can always be moved if ice is necessary early in the sequence of human Mars missions!

Human explorers in Gusev Crater could have access to water ice resources

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Takeaways: 1/2

Gusev Crater has most of the desired qualities for a human Exploration Zone:

Wide diversity of Noachian, Hesperian, and Amazonian rocks

Environments likely to harbor ancient life

Ground truth

Safe, flat areas for human landers

Water ice resources1

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Takeaways: 2/2

Some equatorial sites do have water-ice resourcesGusev may be one example, as these images show

Other possibilities: Meridiani, Tharsis

Equatorial sites in general have a greater geologic diversity than high-latitude sites, as well as more benign operational environments

Before the equator is ruled out, other sites with water-ice resources should be identified and studied


Thank You!

Backup


List of Gusev Crater EZ ROIs

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ROI Science Targets/Resources

1 Columbia Hills: Hot springs, carbonate, phyllosilicate, sulfate, Hesperian lavas, MER Spirit traverse

2 Etched Terrain: Olivine altered to carbonate, regional distribution, Castril Crater

3 Etched Terrain: Olivine altered to carbonate, regional distribution

4 Thira Crater Rim: Age dating, impact-generated hydrothermal events

5 Delta: 400 meters of sediment from Ma’adim Vallis and the Eridania Basin

6 Wrinkled Terrain: Could be pingos; other origins possible

7 Crivitz Crater: Low-albedo surface, dust devils

8 Amazonian Debris Flow: Potential flood deposit from Ma’adim Vallis

9 Hesperian Plains: Two datable lava surfaces, wrinkle ridge

10 Phyllosilicates: Fe-rich and Al-rich mineralogies present, potential lacustrine sediments

11 Home Plate-like features: Potential volcanic/hydrothermal environments

12 Amazonian Landslide

13 Zutphen Crater Rim: Age dating, impact-generated hydrothermal events

14 Gusev Crater Rim: Heavily dissected by aqueous/aeolian activity, impact-generated hydrothermal events

15 Concentric Craters: Possible subsurface ice

16 Inlet: Carved by release of water from chaos terrain to the north

17 Northern Impact: Well-preserved central peak with atypical morphology

18 Galdakao Crater: Medussae Fossae Formation ash deposits

19 Ma’adim Vallis: Typical Hesperian flood channel

Astrobiology and Abundant Resources in the Mawrth/Oyama Exploration Zone

Presented by Briony Horgan, Purdue University

Original proposers:Briony Horgan1, Damien Loizeau2, Francois Poulet3, Janice Bishop4, Eldar Noe

Dobrea5, Bill Farrand6, Joe Michalski5, Christoph Gross7, Julie Kleinhenz8, Diane Linne8, Rachel Maxwell1

1Purdue University, 2Université de Lyon, 3IAS, CNRS/Univ. Paris Sud, 4SETI Institute, 5Planetary Science Institute, 6Space Science Institute, 7Freie Univeristät Berlin, 8NASA/Glenn

Research Center.

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Mawrth/Oyama Exploration Zone Contains the largest, thickest, most abundant, and most diverse deposit of hydrated minerals on Mars

Records the history of water during the most habitable period on Mars: 4.0-3.8 billion years ago

Chemical weathering in soils and wetlands by rain produced clays, evaporation formed sulfates, and runoff flowed into a lake within Oyama crater

Science objectives: characterize diverse habitable environments, search for biosignatures, investigate volcanic and tectonic processes that formed the layers and dichotomy boundary

Exploration advantages: Abundant, accessible, and widespread phyllosilicate/sulfate water feedstocks; diversity of surface types for flexible landing site/resource locations

24.5oN, 340.5oE

OyamaCrater

NorthernPlains

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The highlands in this area are composed of hundreds of meters of clay-rich deposits, with horizons of sulfates and other minerals

Mawrth/Oyama EZ

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Mawrth/Oyama EZ 4

The Mawrth/Oyama sequence is an excellent site for probing the ancient astrobiology of Mars

These ancient surface and subsurface environments likely persisted for a million years or more, were extremely habitable, and have a high likelihood of preserving organics and other biosignatures

Top contender for MSL, Mars 2020, and ExoMars rover landing site

Oyama Clays – River/lake deposits Mineralized fractures Sulfate deposits (yellow)

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Oyama Crater

NorthernPlains

MAWRTH VALLIS24.5oN, 340.5oE

-4 to -2 km

LandingSite #1

LandingSite #2

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-5000

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Location of EZ, resource ROIs, and landing site are all extremely flexible

LS1 is on volcanic plains (provides regolith for construction)

LS2 is directly on clay strata

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Oyama Crater

NorthernPlains

RROI #4

RROI #3RROI #2

RROI #1SROI #1

SROI #2SROI #3SROI

#7

SRO

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SROI#5

SROI #6

SROI #9

MAWRTH VALLIS24.5oN, 340.5oE

-4 to -2 km

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Diverse Science ROI’s

Mineral stratigraphy

Oyama lake deposits

Filled fractures

Lava, pyroclastic deposits, and impact ejecta

Northern plains and dichotomy boundary

Outflow channel flood deposits

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Mawrth/Oyama EZ 7

Mawrth/Oyama has excellent data coverage, so the exploration strategy is mature

All HiRISE coverage


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Mawrth/Oyama EZ 8

New HIRISE coverage since Oct 2015

New images within EZ fill in gaps in extended science targets

Cluster of new images to south is the proposed ExoMars rover landing site


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Mawrth/Oyama EZ 9

All (Blue) and new (Yellow outlines) HiRISE DTM coverage

A few new DTM’s in the area

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Mawrth/Oyama EZ 10

Highest Priority EZ Data Needs from 2015Science potential of Mawrth is well characterized

Some ROI’s could use additional coverage:

HiRISE/CRISM over Landing Site 1 to verify slopes, roughness, proximity to clays

HiRISE/CRISM over SROI #6, N plains near MV mouth

CRISM over Oyama clays to ID clay diversityHIRISE acquired

CRISM over MV floor megablocks to look for hydrothermal alteration

Logistical concerns that may require additional data:

Traversability of MV/Oyama walls

Partially addressed by 2017 MOLA/HRSC merged slope mapResources are also well characterized, but additional work is

needed to characterize nature of clay surface

How much regolith is present? General issue for all hydrated mineral resource sites globally.

Mawrth/Oyama EZ 11

New HiRISE data at mouth of Mawrth Vallisshows relationship between northern plains and clays

Mawrth/Oyama EZ 12

New data within Oyama highlights spectacular outcrops of possible river/lake sediments

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Mawrth/Oyama EZ 13

New science results in and around the Mawrth EZEven more diversity of alteration minerals

Poorly crystalline minerals at the top of the sequence formed in a cooling climate (Bishop & Rampe, 2016)

Carbonate horizons indicating neutral conditions during weathering, and trapping a record of the ancient atmosphere (Bultel et al., 2019)

Hydrated sulfates in the middle of the sequence formed during evaporative periods (Bishop et al., 2020)

Implications for resources:Poorly crystalline minerals can have very low water-release temperatures compared to phyllosilicates, and are good at trapping adsorbed water

Hydrated sulfates also dehydrate at lower temperatures

Overall a wide diversity of abundant mineral resources in widespread, coherent, and easily mappable rock strata

New science results in and around the Mawrth EZ•

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Mawrth/Oyama EZ 14

Even more diversity of habitable environments

Diverse types of mineral-filled fractures that formed in the surface and subsurface, potentially trapping biosignatures in both environments (Kinzelman et al., 2019)

Possible recurring slope lineae in some areas (Bhardwaj et al., 2019)

Summary of astrobiological potential of Mawrth Vallis (Poulet et al., 2020)

Implications for exploration:A rich and diverse site for science and exploration!

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Mawrth/Oyama EZ 15

Summary: Mawrth/Oyama is an exciting and well developed EZ with excellent resource potential

Likely the biggest and most abundant hydrated mineral resource on the planet

Diversity and abundance mean significant flexibility in locations and strategies for landing site/EZ location and resource extraction

Remaining data needs are primarily just to serve detailed engineering studies, potential of site is well characterized

Excellent astrobiological potential – what did the climate and surface of Mars look like 4 billion years ago and what organisms lived there?

Diverse science objectives addressing solar system level questions about the geological and astrobiological evolution of Mars

Columbus Crater Columbus Crater: An OverviewHiRISE Digital Terrain Model (DTM)ConclusionsFuture Data AnalysisAcknowledgements

Exploration Zone Briefing: Gusev CraterWhy Gusev?Gusev Crater EZ OverviewExecutive SummaryGaldakao Crater: OverviewGaldakao Crater: SedimentsGaldakao Crater: ValleyGaldakao Crater: AnalogsGaldakao Crater: ConclusionsCastril Crater and Etched Terrain: OverviewEtched Terrain: BackgroundEtched Terrain: ResultsCastril Crater: ResultsCastril Crater and Etched Terrain: ConclusionsConcentric Craters: OverviewConcentric Craters: MorphologyConcentric Craters: Ice?Concentric Craters: Pedestal CratersConcentric Craters: ConclusionsTakeaways: 1/2Takeaways: 2/2Thank You!BackupList of Gusev Crater EZ ROIs

Astrobiology and Abundant Resources in the Mawrth/Oyama Exploration ZoneMawrth/Oyama Exploration ZoneThe highlands in this area are composed of hundreds of meters of clay-rich deposits, with horizons of sulfates and other mineralsThe Mawrth/Oyama sequence is an excellent site for probing the ancient astrobiology of MarsMawrth/Oyama has excellent data coverage, so the exploration strategy is matureHighest Priority EZ Data Needs from 2015New HiRISE data at mouth of Mawrth Vallisshows relationship between northern plains and claysNew data within Oyama highlights spectacular outcrops of possible river/lake sedimentsNew science results in and around the Mawrth EZSummary: Mawrth/Oyama is an exciting and well developed EZ with excellent resource potential

columbus crater - hls2 hangout: exploration zone briefing...2020/01/23 · columbus crater hls2...

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