Compositions of coarse and fine particles in martian soils at gale: A window into the production of soils

Cousin, A.; Meslin, Pierre‐Yves; Wiens, R. C.; Rapin, W.; Mangold, N.; Fabre, C.; Gasnault, O.; Forni, O.; Tokar, R. L.; Ollila, A.; Schröder, Susanne; Lasue, J.; Maurice, S.; Sautter, V.; Newsom, H. E.; Vaniman, D. T.; Mouëlic, Stéphane Le; Dyar, Darby; Berger, G.; Blaney, D. L.; Nachon, M.; Dromart, G.; Lanza, N.; Clark, B. C.; Clegg, S. M.; Goetz, W.; Berger, J. A.; Barraclough, B. L.; Delapp, D.

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.04.052

Cited by 69 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Therefore, the elemental composition should differ between sand, silt, and clay particles. Similar conclusions were drawn for Martian soils, in which distinct compositions were found for coarse (N0.5 mm) and fine (b 0.5 mm) particles (Cousin et al, 2015). In addition, Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…3 indicates that the proportion of sand is positively correlated with Si and Na peaks, but negatively with Fe peak. Similar observations for Si, Na, and Fe were also found in Martian soils (Cousin et al, 2015). Correlation of Si is not surprising since silica (SiO 2 ) is the most common constituent of sands; Na correlation may be related to the type of Brazilian rock from which sand is derived: probably feldspar, the composition of which includes Na.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

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Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to determine soil texture: A fast analytical technique

et al. 2016

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The analysis of soil texture is crucial for the proper management of agricultural systems and for environmental studies. Soil texture is important as it affects erosion potential, water retention capacity, organic matter complexation, and the retention of nutrients, among others. It is usually determined by pipette or hydrometer methods, but analysis requires a preparation with chemical reagents, which can take hours and hence is unfeasible for large number of samples. Here we propose the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to estimate the proportions of sand, silt, and clay in 60 Brazilian soil samples of varying composition. Two calibration models were developed with the partial least square regression method: one considering the spectral region from 188 to 980 nm and the other, emission lines of the elements Si, Na, Fe, Ti, Ca, K, Al, Co, Mg, V, Ba, and Be. The Pearson correlation coefficients for the estimated values were 0.89 and 0.90 on average for the first and second models, respectively. The uncertainties were 6% on average for both models. These results demonstrate the use of LIBS for rapid scanning of the texture of soil samples with distinct composition. The procedure presented here can be extended to other chemical and physical soil properties, which makes LIBS a universal tool for rapid soil analysis without preparation with chemical reagents.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to determine soil texture: A fast analytical technique

et al. 2016

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“…In addition, the gravity signatures observed over the southern hemisphere led to the conclusion that less dense rocks (such as felsic rocks) may represent a significant component of the ancient crust [ Baratoux et al , ]. In this context, the recognition of alkali‐rich, leucocratic rocks by Curiosity adds to a growing body of evidence that the composition of primary minerals of the ancient crust into which the north rim of Gale Crater was formed is different from the overall basaltic‐dominated crust observed up to now by surface instruments [ Sautter et al , , ; Schmidt et al , ; Cousin et al , ]. Relatively felsic rocks at Gale Crater may come from deeper regions of the crust than the mafic components observed from orbital data at the surface.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition of conglomerates analyzed by the Curiosity rover: Implications for Gale Crater crust and sediment sources

et al. 2016

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The Curiosity rover has analyzed various detrital sedimentary rocks at Gale Crater, among which fluvial and lacustrine rocks are predominant. Conglomerates correspond both to the coarsest sediments analyzed and the least modified by chemical alteration, enabling us to link their chemistry to that of source rocks on the Gale Crater rims. In this study, we report the results of six conglomerate targets analyzed by Alpha-Particle X-ray Spectrometer and 40 analyzed by ChemCam. The bulk chemistry derived by both instruments suggests two distinct end-members for the conglomerate compositions. The first group (Darwin type) is typical of conglomerates analyzed before sol 540; it has a felsic alkali-rich composition, with a Na 2 O/K 2 O > 5. The second group (Kimberley type) is typical of conglomerates analyzed between sols 540 and 670 in the vicinity of the Kimberley waypoint; it has an alkali-rich potassic composition with Na 2 O/K 2 O < 2. The variety of chemistry and igneous textures (when identifiable) of individual clasts suggest that each conglomerate type is a mixture of multiple source rocks. Conglomerate compositions are in agreement with most of the felsic alkali-rich float rock compositions analyzed in the hummocky plains. The average composition of conglomerates can be taken as a proxy of the average igneous crust composition at Gale Crater. Differences between the composition of conglomerates and that of finer-grained detrital sediments analyzed by the rover suggest modifications by diagenetic processes (especially for Mg enrichments in fine-grained rocks), physical sorting, and mixing with finer-grained material of different composition.

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“…Production of highly spherical particles by fluvial activity, in contrast to surface tension in a melt, is unlikely due to the polymineralic makeup of the rounded clasts as observed in ChemCam observations (Meslin et al, 2013;Cousin et al, 2015). The paucity of other fluidal morphologies, such as elongate dumbbells or teardrops, within the sand-sized fraction is surprising, but may very well be associated with the differential behavior of non-spheroidal grain morphologies during processes of aeolian grain transport (i.e., saltation-induced creep; Jerolmack et al (2006), Minitti et al (2013)).…”

Section: Spherules Tektites and Lapillimentioning

confidence: 96%

Gale crater and impact processes – Curiosity’s first 364 Sols on Mars

Newsom¹,

Mangold

Kah

et al. 2015

Icarus

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Compositions of coarse and fine particles in martian soils at gale: A window into the production of soils

Cited by 69 publications

References 47 publications

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to determine soil texture: A fast analytical technique

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to determine soil texture: A fast analytical technique

Composition of conglomerates analyzed by the Curiosity rover: Implications for Gale Crater crust and sediment sources

Gale crater and impact processes – Curiosity’s first 364 Sols on Mars

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