In situ crystallographic mapping constrains sulfate precipitation and timing in Jezero crater, Mars
Late-stage Ca-sulfate-filled fractures are common on Mars. Notably, the Shenandoah formation in the western edge of Jezero crater preserves a variety of Ca-sulfate minerals in the fine-grained siliciclastic rocks explored by the Perseverance rover. However, the depositional environment and timing of the formation of these sulfates are unknown. To address this outstanding problem, we developed a technique to map the crystal orientations of these sulfates in situ at two stratigraphically similar locations in the Shenandoah formation, allowing us to constrain the burial depth and paleoenvironment at the time of their precipitation. Our crystal orientation mapping results and outcrop-scale fracture analyses reveal two different generations of Ca-sulfates: one likely precipitated in the shallow subsurface and a second one that formed at a burial depth below 80 meters. These results indicate that two studied locations capture two different times and distinct chemical conditions in the sedimentary history of the Shenandoah formation, providing multiple opportunities to evaluate surface and subsurface habitability.
Authors
- Nicholas J. Tosca (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4415-4231)
- Scott Davidoff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4417-7268)
- B. C. Clark (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5546-8757)
- David Flannery (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8982-496X)
- S. J. VanBommel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6565-0827)
- David C. Catling (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5646-120X)
- Abigail C. Allwood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9779-7855)
- Brendan J. Orenstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6586-4227)
- Abigail L. Knight (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6832-8190)
- Michael W. Jones (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0720-8715)
- Adrian Galvin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8132-6824)
- Kathleen C. Benison (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6104-2333)
- J. A. Hurowitz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5857-8652)
- Kimberly Poppy Sinclair (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6261-4591)
- L. P. O’Neil (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1555-8229)
- Adrian Broz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1843-6702)
- Peter Nemere (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2158-6824)
- Christoph Schrank (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9643-2382)
- Andrew O. Shumway (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3570-4980)
- Brianna Ganly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4364-7037)
- K. L. Siebach (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6628-6297)
- María‐Paz Zorzano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4492-9650)
- Nicolas Randazzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5551-8224)
- Austin P. Wright
- Jesús Martínez‐Frías (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2609-4485)
- Christopher M. Heirwegh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8234-7288)
- Lawrence A. Wade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8254-8181)
- Mike T. Tice
Institutions
- West Virginia University (US)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- Space Science Institute (US)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- University of Washington (US)
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Health Sciences and Nutrition (AU)
- Centro de Astrobiología (ES)
- Instituto de Geociencias (ES)
- Earth and Space Research (US)
- Stony Brook University (US)
- Rice University (US)
- Central Queensland University (AU)
- Texas A&M University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2025-04-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt3048
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 10.39