Stratigraphic reconstruction and analysis of the delta remnant Kodiak in
Jezero Crater, Mars
Abstract
We analyze Kodiak, an eroded delta remnant in Jezero Crater, Mars, using
several hundred images from the Mastcam-Z and SuperCam instruments on
the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. We create a high-accuracy digital
terrain model to measure Kodiak’s stratigraphic layers, which we divide
into three units and characterize individually. While each unit
possesses geometries interpreted as consistent with a Gilbert-style
delta formation, the older units exposed on Kodiak’s north to northeast
sides include more complex layered structures with azimuthally varying
foresets. We compare Kodiak’s northeast foresets with the clinoforms of
Whale Mountain, an outcrop exposed in the Western Jezero Delta scarp,
and show similar azimuthally varying foresets. The stratigraphic
analysis presented herein (strike and dip, unit thickness, etc.) will
help test and refine detailed sedimentological hypotheses for the
formation and evolution of the Jezero delta. Our 3D reconstruction and
measurements enable unprecedented precision to evaluate depositional
models and advance geological interpretation.