Jezero (crater) explained

Titlecolor:
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Jezero
Coordinate Title:Coordinates
Globe:Mars
Coordinates:18.38°N 77.58°W
Diameter:45km (28miles)[1]
Eponym:Jezero, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Jezero is a crater on Mars in the Syrtis Major quadrangle,[2] about 45km (28miles) in diameter. Thought to have once been flooded with water, the crater contains a fan-delta deposit rich in clays.[3] The lake in the crater was present when valley networks were forming on Mars. Besides having a delta, the crater shows point bars and inverted channels. From a study of the delta and channels, it was concluded that the lake inside the crater probably formed during a period in which there was continual surface runoff.[4]

In 2007, following the discovery of its ancient lake, the crater was named after Jezero, Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of several eponymous towns in the country.[5] [6] In some Slavic languages, the word means 'lake'.[7]

In November 2018, it was announced that Jezero had been chosen as the landing site for the rover Perseverance as part of NASA's Mars 2020 mission.[8] [9] [10] In November 2020, evidence of boulder falls was found on the slopes of the delta deposits that the rover is planned to explore, on the wall of Jezero itself as well as on the wall of Dacono,[11] a small crater in diameter on the floor of Jezero.[12] Perseverance successfully landed in the crater on 18 February 2021.[13] On 5 March 2021, NASA named the landing site of the rover Octavia E. Butler Landing.[14]

Local features

In December 2021, NASA announced that some of the rocks in Jezero in Séítah were igneous. When examined closely, rocks revealed the mineral olivine surrounded by the mineral pyroxene. That arrangement happens in thick magma bodies and geologists call this type of texture "Cumulate."[16] Carbonate and sulfate minerals were also detected which means that the rocks had been altered by water.[17] The instrument used for this analysis was the Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry (PIXL).[18]

Crater

In a March 2015 paper, researchers from Brown University described how an ancient Martian lake system existed in Jezero. The study advanced the idea that water filled the crater at least two separate times.[19] There are two channels on the northern and western sides of the crater that probably supplied it with water; each of these channels has a delta-like deposit where sediment was carried by water and deposited in the lake.[20] Craters of a given diameter are expected to have a certain depth; a depth less than expected means sediment entered the crater.[21] Calculations suggest that the crater may hold about of sediments. Most of the sediments may have been brought in by channels.

Since it is believed that the lake was long-lived, life may have developed in the crater; the delta may have required a period of one to ten million years to form.[22] Clay minerals have been detected in and around the crater.[23] [24] [25] The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter identified smectite clays.[26] Clays form in the presence of water, so this area probably once held water and maybe life in ancient times. The surface in places is cracked into polygonal patterns; such shapes often form when clay dries out. The image below depicts examples of these patterns, and a channel that carried water and sediments into the crater.

Exploration

Mars 2020 mission

See main article: Timeline of Mars 2020.

Jezero, once considered a site for the Mars Science Laboratory, was later proposed as a landing site for NASA's Mars 2020 mission, carrying the rover Perseverance and the helicopter Ingenuity.[27] [28] In early 2017 it was selected as one of the top three candidate landing sites, along with northeast Syrtis, to the southwest.[29]

A primary aim of the Mars 2020 mission is to search for signs of ancient life. It is hoped that a later mission could then return Martian samples from sites identified as probably containing remains of life. To safely bring the craft down, a 12miles wide, smooth, flat circular area is needed. Geologists hope to examine places where water once ponded.[30] They would like to examine sediment layers.

In November 2018, Jezero was selected as the target landing site for Mars 2020.[31] On 18 February 2021, Perseverance landed successfully in the crater.[32] On 19 April 2021, Ingenuity performed the first powered flight on Mars from Jezero, which received the commemorative ICAO airport code JZRO.[33]

Mars Sample Retrieval Lander

An ESA–NASA team produced a three-launch architecture concept for a Mars sample return, which uses the Mars 2020 rover to cache small samples, a two-stage, solid-fueled Mars ascent stage to send it into orbit, and an orbiter to rendezvous with it above Mars and take it to Earth.[34] Solar electric propulsion could allow a one launch sample return instead of three.[35] So, after a launch in July 2026, a lander with a Mars ascent rocket (developed by NASA) with two sample recovery helicopters lands exactly near the Mars 2020 rover at Three Forks in Jezero Crater in August 2028. The collected samples by Mars 2020 are delivers them to the ascent rocket. Once loaded with the samples, the Mars ascent rocket will launch with the sample return canister in spring 2029 and reach a low Mars orbit.

This design would ease the schedule of the whole project, giving controllers time and flexibility to carry out the required operations. Furthermore, the program could rely on the successful landing system developed for the Mars Science Laboratory, avoiding the costs and risks associated with developing and testing yet another landing system from scratch.[36] In addition, NASA may change the solar panels on lander with Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, a nuclear power source, to ensure sufficient power and to keep the rocket’s propulsion system from getting too cold, thus ensuring a longer lifetime, better thermal protection and safe operation even if they are carried in Mars Global Dust Storm Season, but these changes are still to be clarified by NASA.

Discoveries

In 2022, the Perseverance Rover detected organic molecules in the crater.[37] [38]

Although it was believed that Jezero was a lake, Perseverance found igneous rocks.[39] [40] The rocks were once molten and then slowly cooled. They contained the mineral olivine surrounded by the mineral pyroxene which happens in thick magma bodies. Such a texture is called "Cumulate."[41] The rocks had also been changed by water since carbonate and sulfate minerals were also found. The rocks studied were in location nicknamed "South Séítah." "Séítah" (means "amidst the sand" in the Navajo language.[42] The Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) was used for this analysis.[43]

Perseverance detected many dust devils. On a typical Martian day at least four dust devils pass Perseverance. At a peak hour long period just after noon, more than one per hour passes. Perseverance made these observations mostly with its cameras and a group of sensors in the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA). MEDA includes wind sensors and light sensors.[44] [45]

A posible detection of evidence of past life was announced in July 2024. An arrowhead-shaped rock contains organic chemicals. And nearby are rings in the rocks that could have been produced by past life.[46] [47] [48]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Perseverance Rover's Landing Site: Jezero Crater . Mars 2020 Mission Perseverance Rover . NASA . 12 March 2022.
  2. Web site: Wray . James . Channel into Jezero Crater Delta . 6 June 2008 . . 6 March 2015.
  3. Web site: Prime landing sites chosen for biggest Martian rover. Hazel. Muir. 20 November 2018.
  4. Goudge. T.. etal. 2017. Stratigraphy and Evolution of Delta Channel Deposits, Jezero Crater Mars.. Lunar and Planetary Science 48 (2017). 1195.pdf.
  5. Web site: NASA Mars Mission Connects With Bosnian Town . jpl.nasa.gov . 18 February 2021 . 23 September 2019 . Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  6. Web site: Planetary Names: Crater, craters: Jezero on Mars. planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov. 2018-12-14.
  7. Encyclopedia: Trubachyov. Oleg Nikolayevich. Oleg Trubachyov. Etimologicheskiy slovar' slavyanskikh yazykov. ru:Этимологический словарь славянских языков. Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages. Russian. 1979. Nauka. 6. Moscow. 33–34.
  8. News: Chang . Kenneth . How NASA Found the Ideal Hole on Mars to Land In – Jezero crater. the destination of the Perseverance rover, is a promising place to look for evidence of extinct Martian life. . 28 July 2020 . . 28 July 2020 .
  9. News: Chang . Kenneth . NASA Mars 2020 Rover Gets a Landing Site: A Crater That Contained a Lake – The rover will search the Jezero Crater and delta for the chemical building blocks of life and other signs of past microbes. . 19 November 2018 . . 21 November 2018 .
  10. News: Wall . Mike . Jezero Crater or Bust! NASA Picks Landing Site for Mars 2020 Rover . 19 November 2018 . . 20 November 2018 .
  11. Web site: Dacono. Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. 22 September 2021.
  12. Sinha. R.K.. etal. 2020. Boulder fall activity in the Jezero Crater, Mars. Geophysical Research Letters . 47. 23. e90362. 10.1029/2020GL090362. 2020GeoRL..4790362S. 228859524.
  13. Web site: Billings. Lee. Perseverance Has Landed! Mars Rover Begins a New Era of Exploration. 2021-02-18. Scientific American. en.
  14. News: Staff . Welcome to 'Octavia E. Butler Landing' . 5 March 2021 . . 5 March 2021 .
  15. Web site: Perseverance's First Road Trip . NASA/JPL . July 23, 2021. en . November 25, 2021.
  16. News: Nasa's Perseverance Mars rover finds its 'baseline' rocks. BBC News. 16 December 2021.
  17. News: Nasa's Perseverance Mars rover finds its 'baseline' rocks. BBC News. 16 December 2021.
  18. Web site: NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Makes Surprising Discoveries. Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  19. Web site: Ancient Martian lake system records two water-related events. 20 November 2018. ScienceDaily. March 25, 2015.
  20. Web site: Ancient Martian Lake System Records Two Water-related Events - SpaceRef. spaceref.com. 20 November 2018.
  21. Garvin, J., S. Sakimoto, J. Frawley. 2003. Craters on Mars: Global geometric properties from gridded MOLA topography. Sixth International Conference on Mars. Abstract no. #3277.
  22. Schon. S.. J.. Head. C.. Fassett. 2012. An overfilled lacustrine system and progradational delta in Jezero crater, Mars: Implications for Noachian climate. Planetary and Space Science. 67. 1. 28–45. 10.1016/j.pss.2012.02.003. 2012P&SS...67...28S.
  23. Bibring, J.. etal. 2006. Global mineralogical and aqueous Mars history derived from OMEGA/Mars Express data. Science. 312. 5772. 400–404. 10.1126/science.1122659. 16627738. 2006Sci...312..400B. 13968348.
  24. Mangold, N.. etal. 2007. Mineralogy of the Nili Fossae region with OMEGA/Mars Express data: 2. Aqueous alteration of the crust. Journal of Geophysical Research. 112. E8. E08S04. 10.1029/2006JE002835. 2007JGRE..112.8S04M. 15188454 . free.
  25. Poulet, F.. etal. 2005. Phyllosilicates on Mars and implications for early Martian climate. Nature. 438. 7068. 623–627. 10.1038/nature04274. 16319882. 2005Natur.438..623P. 7465822.
  26. Murchie, S. . etal . A synthesis of Martian aqueous mineralogy after 1 Mars year of observations from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter . 2009 . . 114 . E2 . E00D06 . 10.1029/2009JE003342 . 2009JGRE..114.0D06M .
  27. Web site: Staff . PIA19303: A Possible Landing Site for the 2020 Mission: Jezero Crater . 4 March 2015 . . 7 March 2015 .
  28. Web site: Jezero Crater Lake: Phyllosilicate-bearing sediments from a Noachian valley network as a potential MSL landing site. Caleb Fassett. Bethany Ehlmann. Jim Head. Scott Murchie. Jack Mustard. John F. Mustard. Sam Schon. December 19, 2020.
  29. Three sites where NASA might retrieve its first Mars rock . Nature . Alexandra . Witze . 2017-02-11 . 542 . 7641 . 279–280 . 10.1038/nature.2017.21470. 28202980 . 2017Natur.542..279W . free .
  30. Web site: Staff . The Floods of Iani Chaos . 2010 . . 7 March 2015 .
  31. Web site: NASA's Mars 2020 Rover Will Land in Jezero Crater. Gizmodo. Ryan F.. Mandelbaum. 19 November 2018 . 20 November 2018.
  32. Web site: Touchdown! NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Safely Lands on Red Planet. JPL. 18 February 2021.
  33. Web site: NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Succeeds in Historic First Flight . . 2021-04-19 . Mars Exploration Program . 2021-04-19 .
  34. http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_059331 Planetary Science Decadal Survey Mission & Technology Studies
  35. Oh, David Y. et al. (2009) Single Launch Architecture for Potential Mars Sample Return Mission Using Electric Propulsion. JPL/Caltech.
  36. NASA plans Mars sample-return rover. Alexandra. Witze. 15 May 2014. 509. 7500. 272. 10.1038/509272a. 24828172. Nature. 2014Natur.509..272W. free.
  37. Web site: Did life ever exist on Mars? NASA's Perseverance rover finds organic matter in rock samples .
  38. Web site: Perseverance rover collects organics-rich Mars samples for future return to Earth . . 15 September 2022 .
  39. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/1530.pdf
  40. Schmidt, M., et al. 2022. HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED BASALTIC LAVAS EXAMINED BY PIXL IN JEZERO CRATER. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 1530.pdf
  41. News: 2021-12-16 . Nasa's Perseverance Mars rover finds its 'baseline' rocks . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-08-21.
  42. News: 2021-12-16 . Nasa's Perseverance Mars rover finds its 'baseline' rocks . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-08-21.
  43. Web site: NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Makes Surprising Discoveries . 2023-08-21 . NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) . en-US.
  44. News: NASA's Perseverance Studies the Wild Winds of Jezero Crater . en-US . NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) . 2023-08-21.
  45. Newman . Claire E. . Hueso . Ricardo . Lemmon . Mark T. . Munguira . Asier . Vicente-Retortillo . Álvaro . Apestigue . Víctor . Martínez . Germán M. . Toledo . Daniel . Sullivan . Rob . Herkenhoff . Ken E. . de la Torre Juárez . Manuel . Richardson . Mark I. . Stott . Alexander E. . Murdoch . Naomi . Sanchez-Lavega . Agustín . 2022-05-27 . The dynamic atmospheric and aeolian environment of Jezero crater, Mars . Science Advances . en . 8 . 21 . eabn3783 . 10.1126/sciadv.abn3783 . 2375-2548 . 9132482 . 35613267. 2022SciA....8N3783N .
  46. Web site: 2024-07-25 . NASA’s Perseverance Rover Scientists Find Intriguing Mars Rock - NASA . 2024-08-01 . en-US.
  47. Mysterious spots may be signs of life . 2024-07-28 . Mars Guy . 2024-08-01 . YouTube.
  48. Web site: Kuthunur . Sharmila . 2024-07-25 . NASA's Perseverance Mars rover finds possible signs of ancient Red Planet life . 2024-08-01 . Space.com . en.

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