In situ radiometric and exposure age dating of the Martian surface

K.A. Farley; C. Malespin; P. Mahaffy; J.P. Grotzinger; P.M. Vasconcelos; R.E. Milliken; M. Malin; K.S. Edgett; A.A. Pavlov; J.A. Hurowitz; J.A. Grant; H.B. Miller; R. Arvidson; L. Beegle; F. Calef; P.G. Conrad; W.E. Dietrich; J. Eigenbrode; R. Gellert; S. Gupta; V. Hamilton; D.M. Hassler; K.W. Lewis; S.M. McLennan; D. Ming; R. Navarro-González; S.P. Schwenzer; A. Steele; E.M. Stolper; D.Y. Sumner; D. Vaniman; A. Vasavada; K. Williford; R.F. Wimmer-Schweingruber; the MSL Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1247166

In situ radiometric and exposure age dating of the Martian surface

K.A. Farley, C. Malespin, P. Mahaffy, J.P. Grotzinger, P.M. Vasconcelos, R.E. Milliken, M. Malin, K.S. Edgett, A.A. Pavlov, J.A. Hurowitz, J.A. Grant, H.B. Miller, R. Arvidson, L. Beegle, F. Calef, P.G. Conrad, W.E. Dietrich, J. Eigenbrode, R. Gellert, S. GuptaV. Hamilton, D.M. Hassler, K.W. Lewis, S.M. McLennan, D. Ming, R. Navarro-González, S.P. Schwenzer, A. Steele, E.M. Stolper, D.Y. Sumner, D. Vaniman, A. Vasavada, K. Williford, R.F. Wimmer-Schweingruber, the MSL Science Team

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Abstract

We determined radiogenic and cosmogenic noble gases in a mudstone on the floor of Gale Crater. A K-Ar age of 4.21 ± 0.35 billion years represents a mixture of detrital and authigenic components and confirms the expected antiquity of rocks comprising the crater rim. Cosmic-ray–produced 3He, 21Ne, and 36Ar yield concordant surface exposure ages of 78 ± 30 million years. Surface exposure occurred mainly in the present geomorphic setting rather than during primary erosion and transport. Our observations are consistent with mudstone deposition shortly after the Gale impact or possibly in a later event of rapid erosion and deposition. The mudstone remained buried until recent exposure by wind-driven scarp retreat. Sedimentary rocks exposed by this mechanism may thus offer the best potential for organic biomarker preservation against destruction by cosmic radiation.

Original language	English
Article number	1247166
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	6
Journal	Science
Volume	343
Issue number	6169
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1247166
Publication status	Published - 24 Jan 2014

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Farley, K. A., Malespin, C., Mahaffy, P., Grotzinger, J. P., Vasconcelos, P. M., Milliken, R. E., Malin, M., Edgett, K. S., Pavlov, A. A., Hurowitz, J. A., Grant, J. A., Miller, H. B., Arvidson, R., Beegle, L., Calef, F., Conrad, P. G., Dietrich, W. E., Eigenbrode, J., Gellert, R., ... MSL Science Team, T. (2014). In situ radiometric and exposure age dating of the Martian surface. Science, 343(6169), 1-5. Article 1247166. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1247166

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title = "In situ radiometric and exposure age dating of the Martian surface",

abstract = "We determined radiogenic and cosmogenic noble gases in a mudstone on the floor of Gale Crater. A K-Ar age of 4.21 ± 0.35 billion years represents a mixture of detrital and authigenic components and confirms the expected antiquity of rocks comprising the crater rim. Cosmic-ray–produced 3He, 21Ne, and 36Ar yield concordant surface exposure ages of 78 ± 30 million years. Surface exposure occurred mainly in the present geomorphic setting rather than during primary erosion and transport. Our observations are consistent with mudstone deposition shortly after the Gale impact or possibly in a later event of rapid erosion and deposition. The mudstone remained buried until recent exposure by wind-driven scarp retreat. Sedimentary rocks exposed by this mechanism may thus offer the best potential for organic biomarker preservation against destruction by cosmic radiation.",

author = "K.A. Farley and C. Malespin and P. Mahaffy and J.P. Grotzinger and P.M. Vasconcelos and R.E. Milliken and M. Malin and K.S. Edgett and A.A. Pavlov and J.A. Hurowitz and J.A. Grant and H.B. Miller and R. Arvidson and L. Beegle and F. Calef and P.G. Conrad and W.E. Dietrich and J. Eigenbrode and R. Gellert and S. Gupta and V. Hamilton and D.M. Hassler and K.W. Lewis and S.M. McLennan and D. Ming and R. Navarro-Gonz{\'a}lez and S.P. Schwenzer and A. Steele and E.M. Stolper and D.Y. Sumner and D. Vaniman and A. Vasavada and K. Williford and R.F. Wimmer-Schweingruber and {MSL Science Team}, the",

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Farley, KA, Malespin, C, Mahaffy, P, Grotzinger, JP, Vasconcelos, PM, Milliken, RE, Malin, M, Edgett, KS, Pavlov, AA, Hurowitz, JA, Grant, JA, Miller, HB, Arvidson, R, Beegle, L, Calef, F, Conrad, PG, Dietrich, WE, Eigenbrode, J, Gellert, R, Gupta, S, Hamilton, V, Hassler, DM, Lewis, KW, McLennan, SM, Ming, D, Navarro-González, R, Schwenzer, SP, Steele, A, Stolper, EM, Sumner, DY, Vaniman, D, Vasavada, A, Williford, K, Wimmer-Schweingruber, RF & MSL Science Team, T 2014, 'In situ radiometric and exposure age dating of the Martian surface', Science, vol. 343, no. 6169, 1247166, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1247166

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T1 - In situ radiometric and exposure age dating of the Martian surface

AU - Farley, K.A.

AU - Malespin, C.

AU - Mahaffy, P.

AU - Grotzinger, J.P.

AU - Vasconcelos, P.M.

AU - Milliken, R.E.

AU - Malin, M.

AU - Edgett, K.S.

AU - Pavlov, A.A.

AU - Hurowitz, J.A.

AU - Grant, J.A.

AU - Miller, H.B.

AU - Arvidson, R.

AU - Beegle, L.

AU - Calef, F.

AU - Conrad, P.G.

AU - Dietrich, W.E.

AU - Eigenbrode, J.

AU - Gellert, R.

AU - Gupta, S.

AU - Hamilton, V.

AU - Hassler, D.M.

AU - Lewis, K.W.

AU - McLennan, S.M.

AU - Ming, D.

AU - Navarro-González, R.

AU - Schwenzer, S.P.

AU - Steele, A.

AU - Stolper, E.M.

AU - Sumner, D.Y.

AU - Vaniman, D.

AU - Vasavada, A.

AU - Williford, K.

AU - Wimmer-Schweingruber, R.F.

AU - MSL Science Team, the

N1 - Art. No.: 1247166

PY - 2014/1/24

Y1 - 2014/1/24

N2 - We determined radiogenic and cosmogenic noble gases in a mudstone on the floor of Gale Crater. A K-Ar age of 4.21 ± 0.35 billion years represents a mixture of detrital and authigenic components and confirms the expected antiquity of rocks comprising the crater rim. Cosmic-ray–produced 3He, 21Ne, and 36Ar yield concordant surface exposure ages of 78 ± 30 million years. Surface exposure occurred mainly in the present geomorphic setting rather than during primary erosion and transport. Our observations are consistent with mudstone deposition shortly after the Gale impact or possibly in a later event of rapid erosion and deposition. The mudstone remained buried until recent exposure by wind-driven scarp retreat. Sedimentary rocks exposed by this mechanism may thus offer the best potential for organic biomarker preservation against destruction by cosmic radiation.

AB - We determined radiogenic and cosmogenic noble gases in a mudstone on the floor of Gale Crater. A K-Ar age of 4.21 ± 0.35 billion years represents a mixture of detrital and authigenic components and confirms the expected antiquity of rocks comprising the crater rim. Cosmic-ray–produced 3He, 21Ne, and 36Ar yield concordant surface exposure ages of 78 ± 30 million years. Surface exposure occurred mainly in the present geomorphic setting rather than during primary erosion and transport. Our observations are consistent with mudstone deposition shortly after the Gale impact or possibly in a later event of rapid erosion and deposition. The mudstone remained buried until recent exposure by wind-driven scarp retreat. Sedimentary rocks exposed by this mechanism may thus offer the best potential for organic biomarker preservation against destruction by cosmic radiation.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1247166

DO - 10.1126/science.1247166

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 343

SP - 1

EP - 5

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6169

M1 - 1247166

ER -

In situ radiometric and exposure age dating of the Martian surface

Abstract

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