Die Mineralogie, Mikrostruktur und Bildungsprozesse von Böden auf dem Mars

• Antragsteller: Privatdozent Walter Goetz, Ph.D.
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Mineralogie, Petrologie und Geochemie ; Bodenwissenschaften
• Förderung: Förderung von 2012 bis 2018
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 224836998

Since the first Mars landings in the 70ies it has been speculated whether ancient Mars -like ancient Earth- had a wet environment. At this time fluvial landforms were the only indication of ancient liquid water. Since ~2004 Mars' mineralogical (next to morphological) diversity has been discovered and explored by orbiting spacecraft. On 6-Aug-2012 the rover Curiosity (also referred to Mars Science Laboratory, MSL) will land in a place (Gale Crater) where the ancient-wet-Mars hypothesis can be further tested due to coexistence of fluvial landforms (channels, canyons, deltas) and secondary (alteration) minerals (clay minerals, sulfates). We will use Curiosity's scientific payload to explore the changing mineralogy and microstructure of soils along the rover's minimum 20 km long traverse. In particular we will generate high-resolution mineralogical maps (~24 µm/px) along the traverse in order to discriminate autochthonous from allochthonous soil particles and to constrain soil-forming processes and soil transport in the context of Gale Crater's regional geology. These regional studies will add new constraints to the ancient Martian environment. The proposed research project is a specific application of Curiosity's scientific payload and has been formally evaluated and approved by NASA.

• DFG-Verfahren: Sachbeihilfen
• Beteiligte Institution: California Institute of Technology ; Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Beteiligte Person: Stubbe Hviid, Ph.D.