In Situ Radiometric and Exposure Age Dating of the Martian Surface
K. A. Farley
(1)
,
C. Malespin
(2)
,
P. Mahaffy
(2)
,
J. P. Grotzinger
(1)
,
P. M. Vasconcelos
(3)
,
R. E. Milliken
(4)
,
M. Malin
,
K. S. Edgett
,
A. A. Pavlov
(2)
,
J. A. Hurowitz
(5)
,
J. A. Grant
(6)
,
H. B. Miller
(1)
,
R. Arvidson
,
L. Beegle
(7)
,
F. Calef
(7)
,
P. G. Conrad
(2)
,
W. E. Dietrich
(8)
,
J. Eigenbrode
(2)
,
R. Gellert
(9)
,
S. Gupta
(10)
,
V. Hamilton
(11)
,
D. M. Hassler
(11)
,
K. W. Lewis
(12)
,
S. M. Mclennan
(5)
,
D. Ming
(13)
,
R. Navarro-Gonzalez
(14)
,
S. P. Schwenzer
(15)
,
A. Steele
(16)
,
E. M. Stolper
(1)
,
D. Y. Sumner
(8)
,
D. Vaniman
(17)
,
A. Vasavada
(7)
,
K. Williford
(7)
,
R. F. Wimmer-Schweingruber
(18)
,
C. Fabre
(19)
1
CALTECH -
California Institute of Technology
2 GSFC - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
3 UQ [All campuses : Brisbane, Dutton Park Gatton, Herston, St Lucia and other locations] - The University of Queensland
4 Department of Geological Sciences [Providence]
5 Department of Geosciences [Stony Brook]
6 CEPS - Center for Earth and Planetary Studies [Washington]
7 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
8 EPS - Department of Earth and Planetary Science [UC Berkeley]
9 Department of Physics [Guelph]
10 Department of Earth Science and Technology [Imperial College London]
11 SwRI - Southwest Research Institute [Boulder]
12 Princeton University
13 JSC - NASA Johnson Space Center
14 Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares [Mexico]
15 Dept. of Physical Sciences
16 Geophysical Laboratory [Carnegie Institution]
17 PSI - Planetary Science Institute [Tucson]
18 CAU - Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel = Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel = Université Christian-Albrechts de Kiel
19 GeoRessources
2 GSFC - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
3 UQ [All campuses : Brisbane, Dutton Park Gatton, Herston, St Lucia and other locations] - The University of Queensland
4 Department of Geological Sciences [Providence]
5 Department of Geosciences [Stony Brook]
6 CEPS - Center for Earth and Planetary Studies [Washington]
7 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
8 EPS - Department of Earth and Planetary Science [UC Berkeley]
9 Department of Physics [Guelph]
10 Department of Earth Science and Technology [Imperial College London]
11 SwRI - Southwest Research Institute [Boulder]
12 Princeton University
13 JSC - NASA Johnson Space Center
14 Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares [Mexico]
15 Dept. of Physical Sciences
16 Geophysical Laboratory [Carnegie Institution]
17 PSI - Planetary Science Institute [Tucson]
18 CAU - Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel = Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel = Université Christian-Albrechts de Kiel
19 GeoRessources
M. Malin
- Fonction : Auteur
K. S. Edgett
- Fonction : Auteur
R. Arvidson
- Fonction : Auteur
V. Hamilton
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 775894
- ORCID : 0000-0001-8675-2083
K. Williford
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 777504
- ORCID : 0000-0003-0633-408X
C. Fabre
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 736670
- IdHAL : cecile-fabre
- ORCID : 0000-0001-8627-4050
- IdRef : 152463577
Résumé
We determined radiogenic and cosmogenic noble gases in a mudstone on the floor of Gale Crater. A K-Ar age of 4.21 +/- 0.35 billion years represents a mixture of detrital and authigenic components and confirms the expected antiquity of rocks comprising the crater rim. Cosmic-ray-produced He-3, Ne-21, and Ar-36 yield concordant surface exposure ages of 78 +/- 30 million years. Surface exposure occurred mainly in the present geomorphic setting rather than during primary erosion and transport. Our observations are consistent with mudstone deposition shortly after the Gale impact or possibly in a later event of rapid erosion and deposition. The mudstone remained buried until recent exposure by wind-driven scarp retreat. Sedimentary rocks exposed by this mechanism may thus offer the best potential for organic biomarker preservation against destruction by cosmic radiation.