CHARACTERIZING THE FACIES AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ENCHANTED LAKE OUTCROP IN JEZERO CRATER, MARS
Résumé
Jezero crater once hosted an open lake system ~3.8 Ga when water is considered to have been abundant on the surface of Mars [1]. A sedimentary delta deposit formed at the western rim of the crater and remains well-preserved on the surface today [1,2]. Studying the stratigraphy of the Jezero delta can be used to better constrain the fluvial and climate history of early Mars [e.g., 2,3].
Here we present analysis of the Enchanted Lake outcrop, which is located on the eroded southern margin of the delta deposit (Fig. 1). This outcrop was the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover’s first direct encounter with sedimentary rocks at the base of the delta deposit. Data of this outcrop were first collected from sols ~420-426 of the Perseverance mission. The rover then traversed to the northeast to explore the Hawksbill Gap area before returning to Enchanted Lake for sols ~565-600. This study identifies and characterizes the facies within the Enchanted Lake sedimentary succession, and interprets the paleoenvironment of the outcrop in context with the larger deltaic system.
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