Lowest Strata in Gale Mound (near landing site)

Latitude/longitude:4°47'30"S, 137°17'50”E

Rationale:Base of the exposed stratigraphic section for the Gale mound, and thus the oldest deposits

Morphology & Mineralogy: Moderately well defined planar beds exposed in a topographic low, stratigraphically below the proposed layer with clay mineral signatures but possibly lacking sulfates (Milliken et al. 2010).

What will the rover specifically do here?MSL will characterize mineralogy and stratigraphic context of interbedded or intermixed clays and sulfates.

(This image was taken from the sample landing site PowerPoint presentation because is overlaps the proposed target.)

PSP_009716_1755

This target provides the lowest stratal exposures of the lower mound and should be below the clay bed proposed by Milliken et al. (2010). The moderately good exposure of layers should allow MSL to evaluate the possible segregation or intermixing of clays and sulfates to evaluate depositional and diagenetic influences on their origins. Exposures of bedding are better here than north of the entrance to the canyon, possibly allowing better constraints that investigations to the north.

Stratigraphic Section

Target of interest is outside of published CRISM images, but is stratigraphically equivalent to clay and sulfate bearing strata to northeast.

From R. Milliken 4th MSL workshop presentation

(These image were taken from the sample landing site PowerPoint presentation because they overlap the proposed target.)