Towards an understanding of the Geological History of Valles Marineris, Mars

火星展示了太阳系内所有行星中最类似地球的条件，并受到许多与地球上发现的相同地质过程的影响。火山作用、风蚀、水驱动的过程和冰川都在塑造火星表面方面发挥了作用。长期以来，这种相似性激发了人类的想象力，了解火星的地质史一直是研究人员的重要目标。由于缺乏板块构造，火星表面保存了比我们在地球上容易接近的更早的行星进化阶段。目前NASA好奇号月球车在大约36亿年前的盖尔陨石坑内执行任务的主要目标是通过调查该陨石坑中的分层沉积物来调查火星是否有能够支持生命的环境。*水手谷是一个类似历史的裂谷系统，长4000公里，宽400公里，深达10公里，被比作地球上的大裂谷。水手谷的裂缝部分被厚达8公里的层状沉积物填满。它们与硫酸盐矿物学的关系使它们与盖尔陨石坑中的一些矿床相似。在这个研究项目中，我们继续调查这个裂谷系统是如何形成的，以及每个裂谷是如何以及在多大程度上被层状沉积物填充的。了解裂缝形成和填充的机制涉及到重要的环境因素，如水或冰的可用性。*我们的技术是使用分辨率高达25厘米/像素的数字图像和分辨率低至1米/像素的数字地形模型。这将允许我们在3D中查看和测量小比例要素。对于层状矿床的调查，现有轨道高光谱传感器的矿物学观测将补充这一信息。我们还将能够使用遥感化学分析的结果，并最终将我们的观察结果与好奇号在大风中发现硫酸盐成分类似的层状沉积物时所获得的结果进行比较。这项研究将有助于更好地了解火星的早期地质历史和环境条件。这反过来又加强了我们对类地行星早期演化的总体理解。它还为未来人类访问地球和最终殖民火星的任何计划提供了重要信息。

Mars exhibits the most Earth-like conditions of all planets within our solar system and is affected by many of the same geological processes found on Earth. Volcanism, wind erosion, water-driven processes and glaciers have all played a role in shaping the surface of Mars. This similarity has inspired mankind's imagination for a long time and understanding the geological history of Mars has been an important goal for researchers.******Because of the lack of plate tectonics, the Martian surface preserves an earlier stage of planetary evolution than we can easily access on Earth. The primary goal of the current NASA Curiosity rover mission within the ~3.6 billion year old Gale crater is to investigate whether Mars had an environment able to support life by investigating layered deposits in that crater. ******Valles Marineris is a similarly aged, 4000 km long, 400 km wide and up to 10 km deep system of linked chasms that has been compared to large rift valleys on Earth. The chasms of Valles Marineris are partially filled with layered deposits up to 8 km thick. Their association with sulfate mineralogy makes them similar to some deposits in Gale Crater. In this research program we continue our investigation into how this chasm system formed, and how and to what extent each chasm was filled with layered deposits. Understanding the mechanism of the chasm formation and filling addresses important environmental factors such as the availability of water or ice.******Our technique is to use of digital imagery with a resolution of up 25 cm/pixel and of digital terrain models with resolutions as low as 1 m/pixel. This will allow us to view and measure small-scale features in 3D. For investigation of layered deposits this information will be supplemented by mineralogical observations from existing orbiting hyperspectral sensors. We will also be able to use the results of remotely sensed chemical analyses and eventually compare our observations with those obtained by Curiosity when it reaches layered deposits with similar sulfate composition within Gale. ******This research will result in a better understanding of the early geological history and of the environmental conditions of Mars. This in turn enhances our understanding of the early evolution of terrestrial planets in general. It also provides important information for any plans of future human visitation of the planet and for the eventual colonization of Mars.