Title: Oriented Bedrock Samples Drilled by the Perseverance Rover on Mars
Abstract A key objective of the Perseverance rover mission is to acquire samples of Martian rocks for future return to Earth. Eventual laboratory analyses of these samples would address key questions about the evolution of the Martian climate, interior, and habitability. Many such investigations would benefit greatly from samples of Martian bedrock that are oriented in absolute Martian geographic coordinates. However, the Mars 2020 mission was designed without a requirement for orienting the samples. Here we describe a methodology that we developed for orienting rover drill cores in the Martian geographic frame and its application to Perseverance's first 20 rock samples. To orient the cores, three angles were measured: the azimuth and hade of the core pointing vector (i.e., vector oriented along the core axis) and the core roll (i.e., the solid body angle of rotation around the pointing vector). We estimated the core pointing vector from the attitude of the rover's Coring Drill during drilling. To orient the core roll, we used oriented images of asymmetric markings on the bedrock surface acquired with the rover's Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON) camera. For most samples, these markings were in the form of natural features on the outcrop, while for four samples they were artificial ablation pits produced by the rover's SuperCam laser. These cores are the first geographically‐oriented (<2.7° 3σtotal uncertainty) bedrock samples from another planetary body. This will enable a diversity of paleomagnetic, sedimentological, igneous, tectonic, and astrobiological studies on the returned samples. more »« less
Abstract A new drilling system was developed by the US Ice Drilling Program (IDP) to rapidly drill through overlying ice to collect subglacial rock cores. The Agile Sub-Ice Geological (ASIG) Drill system is capable of drilling up to 700 m of ice in a continuous manner. Intermittent ice core samples can be taken as needed. Ten-plus meters of subglacial bedrock and unconsolidated, frozen sediment cores can be drilled with wireline core retrieval. The functionality of the drill system was demonstrated in 2016–17 at the Pirrit Hills, Antarctica where 8 m of high-quality, continuous granite core was retrieved beneath 150 m of ice. The particulars of the drill system development, features and performance are discussed.
Lofi, Johanna; Smith, David; Delahunty, Chris; Le Ber, Erwan; Brun, Laurent; Henry, Gilles; Paris, Jehanne; Tikoo, Sonia; Zylberman, William; Pezard, Philippe A.; et al
(, Scientific Drilling)
Abstract. Expedition 364 was a joint IODP and ICDP mission-specific platform (MSP)expedition to explore the Chicxulub impact crater buried below the surface ofthe Yucatán continental shelf seafloor. In April and May 2016, thisexpedition drilled a single borehole at Site M0077 into the crater's peakring. Excellent quality cores were recovered from ∼505 to ∼1335mbelow seafloor (mb.s.f.), and high-resolution open hole logs were acquiredbetween the surface and total drill depth. Downhole logs are used to imagethe borehole wall, measure the physical properties of rocks that surround theborehole, and assess borehole quality during drilling and coringoperations. When making geological interpretations of downhole logs, it isessential to be able to distinguish between features that are geological andthose that are operation-related. During Expedition 364 some drilling-inducedand logging-related features were observed and include the following: effects caused by thepresence of casing and metal debris in the hole, logging-tool eccentering,drilling-induced corkscrew shape of the hole, possible re-magnetization oflow-coercivity grains within sedimentary rocks, markings on the boreholewall, and drilling-induced changes in the borehole diameter andtrajectory.
Young, Duncan; Ng, Gregory; Kerr, Megan E; Singh, Shivangini; Buhl, Dillon; Echeverry, Gonzalo; Richter, Thomas G; Kempf, Scott D; Blankenship, Donald D; Young, Duncan
(, Texas Data Repository)
These laser altimetry data were collected as part of the 2023-24 <a href="https://www.coldex.org">NSF COLDEX </a> CXA2 airborne campaign targeting the southern flank of East Antarctica's Dome A. In this Level 2 product, we have used the laser range to the surface and complementary aircraft position data to calculated the ice surface elevation, which is an important constraint on ice flow. Complementary radar, gravity, magnetics and imagery were also collected. <p> <i>Data format:</i>Data are formatted as text files with a header and the following tab delimited format columns. Data are in the same format as similar <a href="https://doi.org/10.5067/JV9DENETK13E"> IceBridge ILUTP2 altimetry data. </a> <p> Field 1: Year (UTC)<br> Field 2: Day of year (UTC)<br> Field 3: Second of day (UTC)<br> Field 4: Longitude Angle (deg) (WGS-84) <br> Field 5: Latitude Angle (deg) (WGS-84)<br> Field 6: Laser Derived Surface Elevation (m) (WGS-84)<br> <p> Missing values have been replaced by "nan". The effective footprint of the laser data is 25 m along track by 1 meter across track. Some cloud filtering was performed. <p> <i>Uncertainties</i>: A comparison of this laser altimetry dataset north of 87.5˚S with the <a href="https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/EBW8UC"> REMAv2 </a>100 m mosaic digital terrain model indicate a median bias of 17 cm and a root mean squared (RMS) difference of 20 cm. Intersections between profiles within this survey, on the Antarctic Plateau but away from South Pole Station, have RMS differences of 6.8 cm. <p> <i>Datum: </i>WGS-84 ellipsoid; ITRF 2008 <p> <i>Geolocation: </i>Positioning and orientation for CXA1 came from loosely coupled joint PPP/inertial solutions using a Novatel OEM-4 GPS receiver and an iMAR FSAS IMU. <p> <i>Pointing bias: </i> roll: 0.340 degrees; pitch: -0.505 degrees <br> Pointing angle (pointing bias) is the angular offset of the downward-pointing laser boresight respect to the vehicle body frame's vertical (Z) axis. This estimated angle is derived by comparing measurements at crossovers. Pointing angle is provided in the vehicle body frame, using the laser origin for the rotation node. A positive pitch rotation indicates that the laser beam intersects the ground forward of the z-axis. A positive roll rotation indicates that the laser beam intersects the ground left of the z-axis. Pointing biases were found using the minimization of cross over difference method from <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J048">Young et al., 2015</a>. <p> <i>Level arm: </i>X: 0 m; Y: 0.2 m; Z: -0.22 m <br> The lever arm is the position of the laser origin relative to the aircraft position solution, estimated using crossover-error minimization. Lever arm is provided in the vehicle body frame, with +X is forward, +Y is right, and +Z is down. Lever arm was measured after installation in the field. <p> <i>GNSS_antenna: </i>AeroAntenna AT1675-17W-TCNF-000-RG-36-NM <br> The coordinate system for the laser-gps lever arm is X forward, Y right, and Z down, from the center of position.
These laser altimetry data were collected as part of the 2022-23 <a href="https://www.coldex.org">NSF COLDEX </a> CXA1 airborne campaign targeting the southern flank of East Antarctica's Dome A. In this Level 2 product, we have used the laser range to the surface and complementary aircraft position data to calculated the ice surface elevation, which is an important constraint on ice flow. Complementary radar, gravity, magnetics and imagery were also collected. <p> <i>Data format:</i>Data are formatted as text files with a header and the following tab delimited format columns. Data are in the same format as similar <a href="https://doi.org/10.5067/JV9DENETK13E"> IceBridge ILUTP2 altimetry data. </a> <p> Field 1: Year (UTC)<br> Field 2: Day of year (UTC)<br> Field 3: Second of day (UTC)<br> Field 4: Longitude Angle (deg) (WGS-84) <br> Field 5: Latitude Angle (deg) (WGS-84)<br> Field 6: Laser Derived Surface Elevation (m) (WGS-84)<br> <p> Missing values have been replaced by "nan". The effective footprint of the laser data is 25 m along track by 1 meter across track. Some cloud filtering was performed. <p> <i>Uncertainties</i>: A comparison of this laser altimetry dataset north of 87.5˚S with the <a href="https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/EBW8UC"> REMAv2 </a>100 m mosaic digital terrain model indicate a median bias of 17 cm and a root mean squared (RMS) difference of 20 cm. Intersections between profiles within this survey, on the Antarctic Plateau but away from South Pole Station, have RMS differences of 6.4 cm. <p> <i>Datum: </i>WGS-84 ellipsoid; ITRF 2008 <p> <i>Geolocation: </i>Positioning and orientation for CXA1 came from loosely coupled joint PPP/inertial solutions using a Novatel OEM-4 GPS receiver and an iMAR FSAS IMU. <p> <i>Pointing bias: </i> roll: -0.2 degrees; pitch: -0.350 degrees <br> Pointing angle (pointing bias) is the angular offset of the downward-pointing laser boresight respect to the vehicle body frame's vertical (Z) axis. This estimated angle is derived by comparing measurements at crossovers. Pointing angle is provided in the vehicle body frame, using the laser origin for the rotation node. A positive pitch rotation indicates that the laser beam intersects the ground forward of the z-axis. A positive roll rotation indicates that the laser beam intersects the ground left of the z-axis. Pointing biases were found using the minimization of cross over difference method from <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J048">Young et al., 2015</a>. <p> <i>Level arm: </i>X: 0 m; Y: 0.2 m; Z: -0.22 m <br> The lever arm is the position of the laser origin relative to the aircraft position solution, estimated using crossover-error minimization. Lever arm is provided in the vehicle body frame, with +X is forward, +Y is right, and +Z is down. Lever arm was measured after installation in the field. <p> <i>GNSS_antenna: </i>AeroAntenna AT1675-17W-TCNF-000-RG-36-NM <br> The coordinate system for the laser-gps lever arm is X forward, Y right, and Z down, from the center of position.
We provide new support for habitable microenvironments in the near-subsurface of Mars, hosted in Fe- and Mg-rich rock units, and present a list of minerals that can serve as indicators of specific water–rock reactions in recent geologic paleohabitats for follow-on study. We modeled, using a thermodynamic basis without selective phase suppression, the reactions of published Martian meteorites and Jezero Crater igneous rock compositions and reasonable planetary waters (saline, alkaline waters) using Geochemist’s Workbench Ver. 12.0. Solid-phase inputs were meteorite compositions for ALH 77005, Nakhla, and Chassigny, and two rock units from the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover sites, Máaz and Séítah. Six plausible Martian groundwater types [NaClO4, Mg(ClO4)2, Ca(ClO4)2, Mg-Na2(ClO4)2, Ca-Na2(ClO4)2, Mg-Ca(ClO4)2] and a unique Mars soil-water analog solution (dilute saline solution) named “Rosy Red”, related to the Phoenix Lander mission, were the aqueous-phase inputs. Geophysical conditions were tuned to near-subsurface Mars (100 °C or 373.15 K, associated with residual heat from a magmatic system, impact event, or a concentration of radionuclides, and 101.3 kPa, similar to <10 m depth). Mineral products were dominated by phyllosilicates such as serpentine-group minerals in most reaction paths, but differed in some important indicator minerals. Modeled products varied in physicochemical properties (pH, Eh, conductivity), major ion activities, and related gas fugacities, with different ecological implications. The microbial habitability of pore spaces in subsurface groundwater percolation systems was interrogated at equilibrium in a thermodynamic framework, based on Gibbs Free Energy Minimization. Models run with the Chassigny meteorite produced the overall highest H2 fugacity. Models reliant on the Rosy Red soil-water analog produced the highest sustained CH4 fugacity (maximum values observed for reactant ALH 77005). In general, Chassigny meteorite protoliths produced the best yield regarding Gibbs Free Energy, from an astrobiological perspective. Occurrences of serpentine and saponite across models are key: these minerals have been observed using CRISM spectral data, and their formation via serpentinization would be consistent with geologically recent-past H2 and CH4 production and sustained energy sources for microbial life. We list index minerals to be used as diagnostic for paleo water–rock models that could have supported geologically recent-past microbial activity, and suggest their application as criteria for future astrobiology study-site selections.
Weiss, Benjamin P, Mansbach, Elias N, Carsten, Joseph L, Kaplan, Kyle W, Maki, Justin N, Wiens, Roger C, Bosak, Tanja, Collins, Curtis L, Fentress, Jennifer, Feinberg, Joshua M, Goreva, Yulia, Kennedy_Wu, Megan, Estlin, Tara A, Klein, Douglas E, Kronyak, Rachel E, Moeller, Robert C, Peper, Nicholas, Reyes‐Newell, Adriana, Sephton, Mark A, Shuster, David L, Simon, Justin I, Williford, Kenneth H, Stack, Kathryn W, and Farley, Kenneth A. Oriented Bedrock Samples Drilled by the Perseverance Rover on Mars. Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10555667. Earth and Space Science 11.3 Web. doi:10.1029/2023EA003322.
Weiss, Benjamin P, Mansbach, Elias N, Carsten, Joseph L, Kaplan, Kyle W, Maki, Justin N, Wiens, Roger C, Bosak, Tanja, Collins, Curtis L, Fentress, Jennifer, Feinberg, Joshua M, Goreva, Yulia, Kennedy_Wu, Megan, Estlin, Tara A, Klein, Douglas E, Kronyak, Rachel E, Moeller, Robert C, Peper, Nicholas, Reyes‐Newell, Adriana, Sephton, Mark A, Shuster, David L, Simon, Justin I, Williford, Kenneth H, Stack, Kathryn W, & Farley, Kenneth A. Oriented Bedrock Samples Drilled by the Perseverance Rover on Mars. Earth and Space Science, 11 (3). Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10555667. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA003322
Weiss, Benjamin P, Mansbach, Elias N, Carsten, Joseph L, Kaplan, Kyle W, Maki, Justin N, Wiens, Roger C, Bosak, Tanja, Collins, Curtis L, Fentress, Jennifer, Feinberg, Joshua M, Goreva, Yulia, Kennedy_Wu, Megan, Estlin, Tara A, Klein, Douglas E, Kronyak, Rachel E, Moeller, Robert C, Peper, Nicholas, Reyes‐Newell, Adriana, Sephton, Mark A, Shuster, David L, Simon, Justin I, Williford, Kenneth H, Stack, Kathryn W, and Farley, Kenneth A.
"Oriented Bedrock Samples Drilled by the Perseverance Rover on Mars". Earth and Space Science 11 (3). Country unknown/Code not available: American Geophysical Union. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA003322.https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10555667.
@article{osti_10555667,
place = {Country unknown/Code not available},
title = {Oriented Bedrock Samples Drilled by the Perseverance Rover on Mars},
url = {https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10555667},
DOI = {10.1029/2023EA003322},
abstractNote = {Abstract A key objective of the Perseverance rover mission is to acquire samples of Martian rocks for future return to Earth. Eventual laboratory analyses of these samples would address key questions about the evolution of the Martian climate, interior, and habitability. Many such investigations would benefit greatly from samples of Martian bedrock that are oriented in absolute Martian geographic coordinates. However, the Mars 2020 mission was designed without a requirement for orienting the samples. Here we describe a methodology that we developed for orienting rover drill cores in the Martian geographic frame and its application to Perseverance's first 20 rock samples. To orient the cores, three angles were measured: the azimuth and hade of the core pointing vector (i.e., vector oriented along the core axis) and the core roll (i.e., the solid body angle of rotation around the pointing vector). We estimated the core pointing vector from the attitude of the rover's Coring Drill during drilling. To orient the core roll, we used oriented images of asymmetric markings on the bedrock surface acquired with the rover's Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON) camera. For most samples, these markings were in the form of natural features on the outcrop, while for four samples they were artificial ablation pits produced by the rover's SuperCam laser. These cores are the first geographically‐oriented (<2.7° 3σtotal uncertainty) bedrock samples from another planetary body. This will enable a diversity of paleomagnetic, sedimentological, igneous, tectonic, and astrobiological studies on the returned samples.},
journal = {Earth and Space Science},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
publisher = {American Geophysical Union},
author = {Weiss, Benjamin P and Mansbach, Elias N and Carsten, Joseph L and Kaplan, Kyle W and Maki, Justin N and Wiens, Roger C and Bosak, Tanja and Collins, Curtis L and Fentress, Jennifer and Feinberg, Joshua M and Goreva, Yulia and Kennedy_Wu, Megan and Estlin, Tara A and Klein, Douglas E and Kronyak, Rachel E and Moeller, Robert C and Peper, Nicholas and Reyes‐Newell, Adriana and Sephton, Mark A and Shuster, David L and Simon, Justin I and Williford, Kenneth H and Stack, Kathryn W and Farley, Kenneth A},
}
Warning: Leaving National Science Foundation Website
You are now leaving the National Science Foundation website to go to a non-government website.
Website:
NSF takes no responsibility for and exercises no control over the views expressed or the accuracy of
the information contained on this site. Also be aware that NSF's privacy policy does not apply to this site.
An official website of the United States government
