オポルチュニティの顕微鏡イメージング装置による,Meridiani Planumの水の証拠

K E Herkenhoff¹, S W Squyres, R Arvidson

¹U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Team, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA. kherkenhoff@usgs.gov

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|December 4, 2004

まとめ

ロバー"オポチュニティ"

科学分野:

地質学地質学地質学
惑星科学は惑星科学である.
火星探査火星探査

背景:

メリディアニ・プランウムにある火星の表面は,多様な地質的特徴を呈しています.
土壌と岩の質感を理解することで,火星の過去の環境についての洞察が得られます.

研究の目的:

メリディアニ・プランウムにおける土壌と岩のマイクロスケールの質感を分析する.
地質学的特徴の形成過程を調査する. ヘマタイトの球体を含む.

主な方法:

Opportunityローバーの顕微鏡イメージング装置を利用した.
分析された土壌と岩の質感の画像は,ピクセルあたり31マイクロメートルの解像度で撮影されました.
画像モザイクを作成し,交差分層化のような堆積物の構造を研究しました.

主要な成果:

いくつかの土壌は,上部ミリメートルで弱いセメント化を示したが,他の土壌は凝固性が欠けていた.
岩盤のミリメートルスケールのラミネーションとクロスストラティフィケーションは,流れる水による堆積を示唆しています.
岩の表面にあるフグは,ダイアゲネシス過程で溶解可能な鉱物から溶解した模様を表している可能性が高い.
顕微鏡の証拠は,血液酸に富んだ球体のダイアゲネティック・コンクリエーション的起源を支持している.

結論:

マイクロテクスチャは,Meridiani Planumの多様な土壌特性と堆積過程を示しています.
過去の水活動とダイアゲネティックな変化が火星の表面を形づくったことを示唆する証拠があります.
ヘマタイトの球体は,火星の土壌と岩の記録内のダイアゲネティックな凝縮物として形成された可能性が高い.

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