Syrtis Major quadrangle - Revision history

Suitupshowup: /* Linear Ridge Networks */ added new section about discoveries in jezero

2026-01-12T17:03:32Z

Linear Ridge Networks: added new section about discoveries in jezero

Suitupshowup at 17:00, 24 January 2025

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Suitupshowup at 16:59, 24 January 2025

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Suitupshowup at 20:35, 22 January 2025

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Suitupshowup: /* Linear Ridge Networks */

2024-11-12T17:22:03Z

Linear Ridge Networks

Suitupshowup: /* Linear Ridge Networks */

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Linear Ridge Networks

Suitupshowup: /* Linear Ridge Networks */

2024-11-12T17:19:20Z

Linear Ridge Networks

Suitupshowup at 13:40, 12 November 2024

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Suitupshowup: /* Layers */ added image

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Suitupshowup: /* Linear Ridge Networks */ added ref

2023-05-08T22:11:46Z

Linear Ridge Networks: added ref

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:03, 12 January 2026
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	[[File:ESP 046403 2095dikecropped.jpg\|thumb\|500px\|center\|Dike]]		[[File:ESP 046403 2095dikecropped.jpg\|thumb\|500px\|center\|Dike]]
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		+	==Jezero Crater discoveries with Perseverance==
		+
		+	The Perseverance rover has greatly increased our understanding of the crater. The processes that went on with Jezero may have gone on in many other Martian craters.Although Jezero shows the classic signs of a lake, especially with its deltas, igneous rocks were found.<ref> https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/1530.pdf</ref> <ref>Schmidt, M., et al. 2022. HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED BASALTIC LAVAS EXAMINED BY PIXL IN JEZERO CRATER. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 1530.pdf</ref> One would have expected just sedimentary rocks. Furthermore some of the rocks had large crystals that indicated slow cooling. Large crystals are formed in maga bodies after a long period of cooling. The crystals were composed of the mineral olivine surrounded by another mineral called pyroxene. That arrangement happens in thick magma bodies and geologists call this type of texture "Cumulate."<ref> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59677383</ref> In additon basalt lava was found.<ref> https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9036/nasas-perseverance-rover-collects-puzzle-pieces-of-mars-history/</ref> Minerals that are produced with water, like carbonates, were found as well. <ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-ready-to-roll-for-miles-in-years-ahead/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1-nasajpl&utm_content=daily20251218-3</ref> <ref>https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu8264</ref> <ref>Kenneth H. Williford et al. ,Carbonated ultramafic igneous rocks in Jezero crater, Mars.Science0,eadu8264DOI:10.1126/science.adu8264</ref>
		+
		+	So at this point researchers have pieced together an understanding of the processes and their timing of how Jezero ended it to be how it is<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-ready-to-roll-for-miles-in-years-ahead/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1-nasajpl&utm_content=daily20251218-3</ref> <ref>https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu8264</ref> <ref>Kenneth H. Williford et al. ,Carbonated ultramafic igneous rocks in Jezero crater, Mars.Science0,eadu8264DOI:10.1126/science.adu8264</ref>. After an impact created the Jezero Crater cavity, hot magma moved into weak parts of the crust and accumulated under the ground forming what are called intrusions. They may be called sills, dikes, or lacoliths depending on their shapes. In these chambers, magma underwent a slow cooling. The rocks with the large crystals were part of a group that was named the Seith Formation. Lava, then came into Jezero. The basalt from the lava flow was called the Maaza Formation.<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59677383</ref> <ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-makes-surprising-discoveries</ref> Maaz is rich in the minerals pyroxene and plagioclase. It cooled quicker on the top of a mass of magma or lava. Water has altered the chemistry of the rock because carbonate, iron oxides, amorphous silicates, sulfates, halite, perchlorates, phosphates, and possible
		+	phyllosilicates were found in the rock.<ref> https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/1798.pdf</ref> <ref>Sun, V., et al. 2022. EXPLORING THE JEZERO CRATER FLOOR: OVERVIEW OF RESULTS FROM THE MARS 2020</ref> Erosion removed some of the upper parts of the intrusions, especially the Seith Formation. As a result of this erosion, instruments on Perseverance were able to analyze the minerals in Seith and discover the size and composition of its minerals. Eventually a large lake developed in the crater and made the carbonate minerals found by instruments on Perseverance.<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-ready-to-roll-for-miles-in-years-ahead/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1-nasajpl&utm_content=daily20251218-3</ref> <ref>https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu8264</ref> <ref>Kenneth H. Williford et al. ,Carbonated ultramafic igneous rocks in Jezero crater, Mars.Science0,eadu8264DOI:10.1126/science.adu8264</ref> <ref> https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo2196</ref> <ref>Farley, K., et al. 2022. Aqueously altered igneous rocks sampled on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.abo2196</ref>
		+
		+	Organic minerals that are probably aromatics or stable molecules of carbon and hydrogen connected to sulfates, were detected. Sulfate minerals can preserve information about the watery environments in which they formed. These molecules were found in a place called "Wildcat Ridge." It is believed to have formed as mud and sand settled in a saltwater lake that was evaporating. The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals, or SHERLOC was used for the analysis.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/15/world/perseverance-rover-mars-images-scn/index.html</ref> <ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-rover-investigates-geologically-rich-mars-terrain?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=Daily-09152022</ref>
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		+	Some rock and mineral fragments that are present in the Skinner Ridge sample hint at originating hundreds of miles outside Jezero Crater. This is from a distance that the rover will not be able to travel, but scientists will still get to examine them when the samples are returned to Earth.<ref>https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/perseverance-rover-finds-organic-matter-treasure-on-mars/ar-AA11SJvX?ocid=mailsignout&cvid=d57c0d217b88485f8e8e25525f1a15ef</ref>
		+
		+	Perseverance may have discovered the remains of life. It found chemicals that may have been created by anaerobic organisms in the past. Speckles in rocks contained the minerals vivianite, an iron phosphate, and greigite, an iron sulfide. What’s more both formed in close association with organic carbon. On Earth, vivianite frequently forms in lakes and coastal sediments where microbes use iron in their metabolism. They take iron (III) oxide, use it, and then give off Ferrous iron (II) as a waste. That ferrous iron reacts with phosphate to form vivianite.<ref> https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720366067#:~:text=Vivianite%20is%20an%20important%20product,of%20vivianite%20in%20environmental%20field.</ref> <ref>Yuan, Q., et al. 2021. Biosynthesis of vivianite from microbial extracellular electron transfer and environmental application. Science of the total environment. Volume 762, 143076 </ref>
		+	Greigite tends to form when microbes break down sulfate. They change sulfate to sulfide which unites with iron to produce greigite. <ref>Igarashi, K., et al. 2016. Natural synthesis of bioactive greigite by solid–gas reactions. journal/geochimica-et-cosmochimica-acta . Volume 191, 15 October 2016, Pages 47-57. </ref> When found together on Earth, these minerals and organic molecules are usually considered a sort of biosignature.<ref>https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-life-on-mars-this-rock-may-hold-the-answer/#:~:text=In%20their%20Nature%20study%2C%20Hurowitz,also%20shows%20an%20abrasion%20patch.</ref> <ref>https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-life-on-mars-this-rock-may-hold-the-answer/#:~:text=In%20their%20Nature%20study%2C%20Hurowitz,also%20shows%20an%20abrasion%20patch.</ref> There are possible, but not probable ways, that these minerals may have been formed without microbes.<ref> Hurowitz, J.A., Tice, M.M., Allwood, A.C. et al. Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars. Nature 645, 332–340 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09413-0</ref> They could have been made without biological reactions, including constant high temperatures, acidic conditions, and binding by organic compounds. But, the rocks in this place, called Bright Angel, do not show evidence that they experienced high temperatures or acidic conditions, and it is unknown whether the organic compounds present would’ve been capable of catalyzing the reaction at the expected low temperatures. This chemical evidence of past life appeared in some of the youngest sedimentary rocks the mission has examined. For a long time, we assumed signs of ancient life would be only found in older rock formations. This discovery may mean that Mars could have been habitable for a longer period or later in the planet’s history than previously thought. Older rocks also might hold signs of life that are simply harder to detect.<ref> https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/#:~:text=In%20higher%2Dresolution%20images%2C%20the,the%20reaction%20at%20low%20temperatures.</ref> The truth about these rocks may not be really known until the samples that were gathered are brought to the Earth.

	==Linear Ridge Networks==		==Linear Ridge Networks==

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 |[[Mars Atlas|Atlas]]
 |}
 <gallery widths="400" heights="300">
 File:USGS-Mars-MC-13-SyrtisMajorRegion-mola.png
 File:Syrtis Major MC-13 - PIA00173.tiff
 </gallery>

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 File:Syrtis Major MC-13 - PIA00173.tiff
-File:Collagesyrtismajor.jpg|Typical features of Syrtis Major quadrangle as seen by HiRISE under under HiWish program
+File:Collage Syrtis Major quadrangle 02.jpg|Typical features of Syrtis Major quadrangle as seen by HiRISE under under HiWish program
 </gallery>

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 File:Collagesyrtismajor.jpg|Typical features of Syrtis Major quadrangle as seen by HiRISE under under HiWish program
 </gallery>
 The Syrtis Major quadrangle covers latitudes 0° to 30° N and  longitudes 270° to 315° W (45-90 E).  Syrtis Major quadrangle includes some other named regions:  Syrtis Major Planum,  and parts of Terra Sabaea and [[Isidis Planitia]].<ref>Davies, M.E.; Batson, R.M.; Wu, S.S.C. "Geodesy and Cartography" in Kieffer, H.H.; Jakosky, B.M.; Snyder, C.W.; Matthews, M.S., Eds. ''Mars.'' University of Arizona Press: Tucson, 1992.</ref>

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 File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 01.jpg|Wide view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program  The colored strip is about 1 km across.
 File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 02.jpg|Close view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
-File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 03.jpg|Close view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program  Cracks are also visible.
+File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 03.jpg|Close view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program  Cracks are also visible.  Picture is about 1 km across.
 </gallery>

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 [[File:ESP 055106 2075ridges.jpg|thumb|500px|center|Ridges]]
+<gallery class="center"  widths="380px" heights="360px">
 File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 01.jpg|Wide view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program  The colored strip is about 1 km across.
 File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 02.jpg|Close view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
 File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 03.jpg|Close view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program  Cracks are also visible.
 ==Dunes==

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:19, 12 November 2024
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	[[File:ESP 055106 2075ridges.jpg\|thumb\|500px\|center\|Ridges]]		[[File:ESP 055106 2075ridges.jpg\|thumb\|500px\|center\|Ridges]]
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		+	File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 01.jpg\|Wide view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program The colored strip is about 1 km across.
		+	File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 02.jpg\|Close view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
		+	File:ESP 085266 2080 ridges syrtis 03.jpg\|Close view of ridges, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Cracks are also visible.

	==Dunes==		==Dunes==

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:40, 12 November 2024
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	Perseverance was the name picked for the rover; it landed right on target near the delta on February 18, 2021.<ref>https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8865/touchdown-nasas-mars-perseverance-rover-safely-lands-on-red-planet/</ref>		Perseverance was the name picked for the rover; it landed right on target near the delta on February 18, 2021.<ref>https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8865/touchdown-nasas-mars-perseverance-rover-safely-lands-on-red-planet/</ref>

−	The rest of this article will cover significant scientific discoveries and show what the landscape looks like close up. We will be learning and hearing much more about this area when Mars 2020 lands in Jezero Crater.	+	==Jezero Crater==

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 [[File:ESP 043410 1980ridges.jpg|thumb|500px|center|Ridges]]
-Some crater floors in the Syrtis Major area show elongated ridges arranged in a complex pattern.  Scientists are still debating over the exact origin of these features.  Some have suggested that they are dikes made up of molten rock; others have advanced the idea that other fluids such as water were involved.<ref>Saper, L., J. Mustard. 2013. "Extensive linear ridge networks in Nili Fossae and Nilosyrtis, Mars: implications for fluid flow in the ancient crust". ''Geophysical Research Letters'': 40, 245-249.</ref> The ridges are found where there has been erosion.<ref>Pascuzzo, A., et al.  2019.  The formation of irregular polygonal ridge networks, Nili Fossae, Mars:
+Some crater floors in the Syrtis Major area show elongated ridges arranged in a complex pattern.<ref> https://www.uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_077982_1920</ref>   Scientists are still debating over the exact origin of these features.  Some have suggested that they are dikes made up of molten rock; others have advanced the idea that other fluids such as water were involved.<ref>Saper, L., J. Mustard. 2013. "Extensive linear ridge networks in Nili Fossae and Nilosyrtis, Mars: implications for fluid flow in the ancient crust". ''Geophysical Research Letters'': 40, 245-249.</ref> The ridges are found where there has been erosion.<ref>Pascuzzo, A., et al.  2019.  The formation of irregular polygonal ridge networks, Nili Fossae, Mars:
 Implications for extensive subsurface channelized fluid flow in the Noachian.  Icarus:  319, 852-868</ref>