A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars

J.P. Grotzinger; D.Y. Sumner; L.C. Kah; K. Stack; S. Gupta; L. Edgar; D. Rubin; K. Lewis; J. Schieber; N. Mangold; R. Milliken; P.G. Conrad; D. DesMarais; J. Farmer; K. Siebach; F. Calef III; J. Hurowitz; S.M. McLennan; D. Ming; D. Vaniman; J. Crisp; A. Vasavada; K.S. Edgett; M. Malin; D. Blake; R. Gellert; P. Mahaffy; R.C. Wiens; S. Maurice; J.A. Grant; S. Wilson; R.C. Anderson; L. Beegle; R. Arvidson; B. Hallet; R.S. Sletten; M. Rice; J. Bell III; J. Griffes; B. Ehlmann; R.B. Anderson; T.F. Bristow; W.E. Dietrich; G. Dromart; J. Eigenbrode; A. Fraeman; C. Hardgrove; K. Herkenhoff; L. Jandura; G. Kocurek; S. Lee; L.A. Leshin; R. Leveille; D. Limonadi; J. Maki; S. McCloskey; M. Meyer; M. Minitti; H. Newsom; D. Oehler; A. Okon; M. Palucis; T. Parker; S. Rowland; M. Schmidt; S. Squyres; A. Steele; E. Stolper; R. Summons; A. Treiman; R. Williams; A. Yingst; the MSL Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1242777

A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars

J.P. Grotzinger, D.Y. Sumner, L.C. Kah, K. Stack, S. Gupta, L. Edgar, D. Rubin, K. Lewis, J. Schieber, N. Mangold, R. Milliken, P.G. Conrad, D. DesMarais, J. Farmer, K. Siebach, F. Calef III, J. Hurowitz, S.M. McLennan, D. Ming, D. VanimanJ. Crisp, A. Vasavada, K.S. Edgett, M. Malin, D. Blake, R. Gellert, P. Mahaffy, R.C. Wiens, S. Maurice, J.A. Grant, S. Wilson, R.C. Anderson, L. Beegle, R. Arvidson, B. Hallet, R.S. Sletten, M. Rice, J. Bell III, J. Griffes, B. Ehlmann, R.B. Anderson, T.F. Bristow, W.E. Dietrich, G. Dromart, J. Eigenbrode, A. Fraeman, C. Hardgrove, K. Herkenhoff, L. Jandura, G. Kocurek, S. Lee, L.A. Leshin, R. Leveille, D. Limonadi, J. Maki, S. McCloskey, M. Meyer, M. Minitti, H. Newsom, D. Oehler, A. Okon, M. Palucis, T. Parker, S. Rowland, M. Schmidt, S. Squyres, A. Steele, E. Stolper, R. Summons, A. Treiman, R. Williams, A. Yingst, the MSL Science Team

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Abstract

The Curiosity rover discovered fine-grained sedimentary rocks, which are inferred to represent an ancient lake and preserve evidence of an environment that would have been suited to support a martian biosphere founded on chemolithoautotrophy. This aqueous environment was characterized by neutral pH, low salinity, and variable redox states of both iron and sulfur species. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus were measured directly as key biogenic elements; by inference, phosphorus is assumed to have been available. The environment probably had a minimum duration of hundreds to tens of thousands of years. These results highlight the biological viability of fluvial-lacustrine environments in the post-Noachian history of Mars.

Original language	English
Article number	1242777
Number of pages	14
Journal	Science
Volume	343
Issue number	6169
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1242777
Publication status	Published - 2014

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Grotzinger, J. P., Sumner, D. Y., Kah, L. C., Stack, K., Gupta, S., Edgar, L., Rubin, D., Lewis, K., Schieber, J., Mangold, N., Milliken, R., Conrad, P. G., DesMarais, D., Farmer, J., Siebach, K., Calef III, F., Hurowitz, J., McLennan, S. M., Ming, D., ... MSL Science Team, T. (2014). A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. Science, 343(6169), Article 1242777. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1242777

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title = "A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars",

abstract = "The Curiosity rover discovered fine-grained sedimentary rocks, which are inferred to represent an ancient lake and preserve evidence of an environment that would have been suited to support a martian biosphere founded on chemolithoautotrophy. This aqueous environment was characterized by neutral pH, low salinity, and variable redox states of both iron and sulfur species. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus were measured directly as key biogenic elements; by inference, phosphorus is assumed to have been available. The environment probably had a minimum duration of hundreds to tens of thousands of years. These results highlight the biological viability of fluvial-lacustrine environments in the post-Noachian history of Mars.",

author = "J.P. Grotzinger and D.Y. Sumner and L.C. Kah and K. Stack and S. Gupta and L. Edgar and D. Rubin and K. Lewis and J. Schieber and N. Mangold and R. Milliken and P.G. Conrad and D. DesMarais and J. Farmer and K. Siebach and {Calef III}, F. and J. Hurowitz and S.M. McLennan and D. Ming and D. Vaniman and J. Crisp and A. Vasavada and K.S. Edgett and M. Malin and D. Blake and R. Gellert and P. Mahaffy and R.C. Wiens and S. Maurice and J.A. Grant and S. Wilson and R.C. Anderson and L. Beegle and R. Arvidson and B. Hallet and R.S. Sletten and M. Rice and {Bell III}, J. and J. Griffes and B. Ehlmann and R.B. Anderson and T.F. Bristow and W.E. Dietrich and G. Dromart and J. Eigenbrode and A. Fraeman and C. Hardgrove and K. Herkenhoff and L. Jandura and G. Kocurek and S. Lee and L.A. Leshin and R. Leveille and D. Limonadi and J. Maki and S. McCloskey and M. Meyer and M. Minitti and H. Newsom and D. Oehler and A. Okon and M. Palucis and T. Parker and S. Rowland and M. Schmidt and S. Squyres and A. Steele and E. Stolper and R. Summons and A. Treiman and R. Williams and A. Yingst and {MSL Science Team}, the",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1126/science.1242777",

language = "English",

volume = "343",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6169",

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Grotzinger, JP, Sumner, DY, Kah, LC, Stack, K, Gupta, S, Edgar, L, Rubin, D, Lewis, K, Schieber, J, Mangold, N, Milliken, R, Conrad, PG, DesMarais, D, Farmer, J, Siebach, K, Calef III, F, Hurowitz, J, McLennan, SM, Ming, D, Vaniman, D, Crisp, J, Vasavada, A, Edgett, KS, Malin, M, Blake, D, Gellert, R, Mahaffy, P, Wiens, RC, Maurice, S, Grant, JA, Wilson, S, Anderson, RC, Beegle, L, Arvidson, R, Hallet, B, Sletten, RS, Rice, M, Bell III, J, Griffes, J, Ehlmann, B, Anderson, RB, Bristow, TF, Dietrich, WE, Dromart, G, Eigenbrode, J, Fraeman, A, Hardgrove, C, Herkenhoff, K, Jandura, L, Kocurek, G, Lee, S, Leshin, LA, Leveille, R, Limonadi, D, Maki, J, McCloskey, S, Meyer, M, Minitti, M, Newsom, H, Oehler, D, Okon, A, Palucis, M, Parker, T, Rowland, S, Schmidt, M, Squyres, S, Steele, A, Stolper, E, Summons, R, Treiman, A, Williams, R, Yingst, A & MSL Science Team, T 2014, 'A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars', Science, vol. 343, no. 6169, 1242777. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1242777

TY - JOUR

T1 - A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars

AU - Grotzinger, J.P.

AU - Sumner, D.Y.

AU - Kah, L.C.

AU - Stack, K.

AU - Gupta, S.

AU - Edgar, L.

AU - Rubin, D.

AU - Lewis, K.

AU - Schieber, J.

AU - Mangold, N.

AU - Milliken, R.

AU - Conrad, P.G.

AU - DesMarais, D.

AU - Farmer, J.

AU - Siebach, K.

AU - Calef III, F.

AU - Hurowitz, J.

AU - McLennan, S.M.

AU - Ming, D.

AU - Vaniman, D.

AU - Crisp, J.

AU - Vasavada, A.

AU - Edgett, K.S.

AU - Malin, M.

AU - Blake, D.

AU - Gellert, R.

AU - Mahaffy, P.

AU - Wiens, R.C.

AU - Maurice, S.

AU - Grant, J.A.

AU - Wilson, S.

AU - Anderson, R.C.

AU - Beegle, L.

AU - Arvidson, R.

AU - Hallet, B.

AU - Sletten, R.S.

AU - Rice, M.

AU - Bell III, J.

AU - Griffes, J.

AU - Ehlmann, B.

AU - Anderson, R.B.

AU - Bristow, T.F.

AU - Dietrich, W.E.

AU - Dromart, G.

AU - Eigenbrode, J.

AU - Fraeman, A.

AU - Hardgrove, C.

AU - Herkenhoff, K.

AU - Jandura, L.

AU - Kocurek, G.

AU - Lee, S.

AU - Leshin, L.A.

AU - Leveille, R.

AU - Limonadi, D.

AU - Maki, J.

AU - McCloskey, S.

AU - Meyer, M.

AU - Minitti, M.

AU - Newsom, H.

AU - Oehler, D.

AU - Okon, A.

AU - Palucis, M.

AU - Parker, T.

AU - Rowland, S.

AU - Schmidt, M.

AU - Squyres, S.

AU - Steele, A.

AU - Stolper, E.

AU - Summons, R.

AU - Treiman, A.

AU - Williams, R.

AU - Yingst, A.

AU - MSL Science Team, the

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - The Curiosity rover discovered fine-grained sedimentary rocks, which are inferred to represent an ancient lake and preserve evidence of an environment that would have been suited to support a martian biosphere founded on chemolithoautotrophy. This aqueous environment was characterized by neutral pH, low salinity, and variable redox states of both iron and sulfur species. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus were measured directly as key biogenic elements; by inference, phosphorus is assumed to have been available. The environment probably had a minimum duration of hundreds to tens of thousands of years. These results highlight the biological viability of fluvial-lacustrine environments in the post-Noachian history of Mars.

AB - The Curiosity rover discovered fine-grained sedimentary rocks, which are inferred to represent an ancient lake and preserve evidence of an environment that would have been suited to support a martian biosphere founded on chemolithoautotrophy. This aqueous environment was characterized by neutral pH, low salinity, and variable redox states of both iron and sulfur species. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus were measured directly as key biogenic elements; by inference, phosphorus is assumed to have been available. The environment probably had a minimum duration of hundreds to tens of thousands of years. These results highlight the biological viability of fluvial-lacustrine environments in the post-Noachian history of Mars.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1242777

DO - 10.1126/science.1242777

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 343

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6169

M1 - 1242777

ER -

A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars

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