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Spectral diversity of rocks and soils in Mastcam observations along the Curiosity rover's traverse in Gale crater, Mars
  • +14
  • Melissa Rice,
  • Christina Seeger,
  • Jim Bell,
  • Fred Calef,
  • Michael St. Clair,
  • Alivia Eng,
  • Abigail Fraeman,
  • Cory Hughes,
  • Briony Horgan,
  • Samantha Jacob,
  • Jeff Johnson,
  • Hannah Kerner,
  • Kjartan Kinch,
  • Mark Lemmon,
  • Chase Million,
  • Mason Starr,
  • Danika Wellington
Melissa Rice
Western Washington University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Christina Seeger
Western Washington University
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Jim Bell
Arizona State University
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Fred Calef
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Michael St. Clair
Million Concepts
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Alivia Eng
Western Washington University
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Abigail Fraeman
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Cory Hughes
Western Washington University
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Briony Horgan
Purdue University
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Samantha Jacob
Arizona State University
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Jeff Johnson
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
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Hannah Kerner
University of Maryland
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Kjartan Kinch
Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen
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Mark Lemmon
Space Science Institute
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Chase Million
Million Concepts
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Mason Starr
Western Washington University
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Danika Wellington
KBR, Inc.
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Abstract

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has explored over 400 meters of vertical stratigraphy within Gale crater to date. These fluvio-deltaic, lacustrine, and aeolian strata have been well-documented by Curiosity’s in-situ and remote science instruments, including the Mast Camera (Mastcam) pair of multispectral imagers. Mastcam visible to near-infrared (VNIR) spectra can broadly distinguish between iron phases and oxidation states, and in combination with chemical data from other instruments, Mastcam spectra can help constrain mineralogy, depositional origin, and diagenesis. However, no traverse-scale analysis of Mastcam multispectral data has yet been performed. We compiled a database of Mastcam spectra from >600 multispectral observations and 1 quantified spectral variations across Curiosity’s traverse through Vera Rubin ridge (sols 0-2302). From principal component analysis and an examination of spectral parameters, we identified 9 rock spectral classes and 5 soil spectral classes. Rock classes are dominated by spectral differences attributed to hematite and other oxides (due to variations in grain size, composition, and abundance) and are mostly confined to specific stratigraphic members. Soil classes fall along a mixing line between soil spectra dominated by fine-grained Fe-oxides and those dominated by olivine-bearing sands. By comparing trends in soil vs. rock spectra, we find that locally derived sediments are not significantly contributing to the spectra of soils. Rather, varying contributions of dark, mafic sands from the active Bagnold Dune field is the primary spectral characteristic of soils. These spectral classes and their trends with stratigraphy provide a basis for comparison in Curiosity’s ongoing exploration of Gale crater.