Geomorphology of Gale Crater, Rock on! Options

[serpens]

Thanks for that link. The conclusion that "the possibility that VRR members are distinguished primarily by diagenetic processes that did not follow strata boundaries" seems to be supported by Chemin results (link below). The difference between Grey Jura and Red Jura with significant akaganeite in Rock Hall would seem to indicate a localised concentration of chloride rich acidic fluid within the Jura member.

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2020/pdf/1601.pdf

[PaulH51]

Curiosity Rover Finds Clues to Chilly Ancient Mars Buried in Rocks (NASA Goddard News Release) Link
Associated paper (pay-walled) Link

[serpens]

I don't feel there is any contradiction with the Gale crater sediment requiring millions to tens of millions of years to form in warm, humid conditions and some of the carbonates within that sediment possibly being formed in icy conditions. For the last 3 million years or so Earth has experience cyclical glaciation with shorter, warm and humid interglacials, initially on a 41 kyr cycle and then, for currently unknown reasons, switching to a 100kyr period. Even during interglacials there are significant temperature variations. It would probably be more surprising if there were no indications of temperature variability.

[serpens]

An interesting abstract from LPSC 2021 which includes possible flooding of Gale by breaches in the Northern crater rim.

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/1605.pdf

[HSchirmer]

An interesting abstract from LPSC 2021 which includes possible flooding of Gale by breaches in the Northern crater rim.
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/1605.pdf

Sort of amazing to realize "the eroded north rim of gale crater" could have been eroded by ocean waves.

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[climber]

Not sure it’s the right section…
From lake to river, open access paper from Gwénaël Caravaca : https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...29/2021JE007093

[serpens]

Another possible indication of a northern ocean with implications for potential flooding of Gale crater.

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/tra...iscovered-mars/

[Gladstoner]

Trying to make sense of the geologic context of the various units...

A major angular unconformity can be discerned by the truncation of the bench-forming sandstone (red). The Greenheugh Pediment sandstone (green) appears to be the basal unit of the overlying sequence:



Unmarked:



Closer:





The above images were derived from Neville's Gigapan 'MSL 3485 -3520 MR'

Map with possible field relations:





There is a possibility the Greenheugh Sandstone instead outcrops along the feature marked as blue.

[Gladstoner]

Wider map view:

[Gladstoner]

Possible northward extension of the Marker horizon (lavender):



The bench-forming sandstone appears to become less prominent to the south.

Point of contact of the (possible) marker horizon with the Greenheugh Pediment bed: