Murray Formation Explained

The Murray Formation is the name given to a distinctive mudstone geologic formation studied by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity at the Gale Crater, Mars.[1]

Stratigraphy

The formation is more than 300m (1,000feet) thick and is part of the Mount Sharp Group which interfingers with units of the Bradbury Group.[2] The formation is composed mostly of basaltic minerals plus clays, though an intermediate horizon contains tridymite, cristobalite, quartz and opal.[3]

The Murray formation has five named subunits, the Pahrump Hills Member, Hartmann's Valley Member, Karasburg Member, Sutton Island Member, and Vera Rubin Ridge Member.[4] It unconformably underlies the Stimson formation.[5]

The Murray formation is the target of multiple compelling hints of ancient Martian microbial life. The region contains veins of boron[6] [7] and "halos" of silica likely formed by groundwater flows late in the crater's geologic history[8] and high levels of manganese oxide suggesting Earth-like oxygen levels early in Mars' history.[9]

Notes and References

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
  3. Book: McSween . Harry . Moersch . Jeffrey . Burr . Devon . Dunne . William . Emery . Joshua . Kah . Linda . McCanta . Molly . Planetary Geoscience . 2019 . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge . 9781107145382 . 302–310.
  4. 1.
  5. 1.
  6. 10.1002/2017GL074480. In situ detection of boron by Chem Cam on Mars. Geophysical Research Letters. 44. 17. 8739–8748. 2017. Gasda. Patrick J.. Haldeman. Ethan B.. Wiens. Roger C.. Rapin. William. Bristow. Thomas F.. Bridges. John C.. Schwenzer. Susanne P.. Clark. Benton. Herkenhoff. Kenneth. Frydenvang. Jens. Lanza. Nina L.. Maurice. Sylvestre. Clegg. Samuel. Delapp. Dorothea M.. Sanford. Veronica L.. Bodine. Madeleine R.. McInroy. Rhonda. 2017GeoRL..44.8739G. free. 2381/41995. free.
  7. Web site: Discovery of boron on Mars adds to evidence for habitability: Boron compounds play role in stabilizing sugars needed to make RNA, a key to life.
  8. Frydenvang . J. . Gasda . P. J. . Hurowitz . J. A. . Grotzinger . J. P. . Wiens . R. C. . Newsom . H. E. . Edgett . K. S. . Watkins . J. . Bridges . J. C. . Maurice . S. . Fisk . M. R. . Johnson . J. R. . Rapin . W. . Stein . N. T. . Clegg . S. M. . Schwenzer . S. P. . Bedford . C. C. . Edwards . P. . Mangold . N. . Cousin . A. . Anderson . R. B. . Payré . V. . Vaniman . D. . Blake . D. F. . Lanza . N. L. . Gupta . S. . Van Beek . J. . Sautter . V. . Meslin . P.-Y. . Rice . M. . Milliken . R. . Gellert . R. . Thompson . L. . Clark . B. C. . Sumner . D. Y. . Fraeman . A. A. . Kinch . K. M. . Madsen . M. B. . Mitrofanov . I. G. . Jun . I. . Calef . F. . Vasavada . A. R. . Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars . Geophysical Research Letters . 44 . 10 . May 28, 2017 . 0094-8276 . 10.1002/2017GL073323 . 4716–4724. 2017GeoRL..44.4716F .
  9. Gasda . P. J. . Lanza . N. L. . Meslin . P.-Y. . Lamm . S. N. . Cousin . A. . Anderson . R. . Forni . O. . Swanner . E. . L’Haridon . J. . Frydenvang . J. . Thomas . N. . Gwizd . S. . Stein . N. . Fischer . W. W. . Hurowitz . J. . Sumner . D. . Rivera-Hernández . F. . Crossey . L. . Ollila . A. . Essunfeld . A. . Newsom . H. E. . Clark . B. . Wiens . R. C. . Gasnault . O. . Clegg . S. M. . Maurice . S. . Delapp . D. . Reyes-Newell . A. . Manganese-Rich Sandstones as an Indicator of Ancient Oxic Lake Water Conditions in Gale Crater, Mars . Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets . 129 . 5 . 2024 . 2169-9097 . 10.1029/2023JE007923 . free . 2024JGRE..12907923G .

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