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NASA NTRS1991

Interactions of tectonic, igneous, and hydraulic processes in the North Tharsis Region of Mars

Recent work on the north Tharsis of Mars has revealed a complex geologic history involving volcanism, tectonism, flooding, and mass wasting. Our detailed photogeologic analysis of this region found many previously unreported volcanic vents, volcaniclastic flows, irregular cracks, and minor pit chains; additional evidence that volcanic tectonic processes dominated this region throughout Martian geologic time; and the local involvement of these processes with surface and near surface water. Also, photoclinometric profiles were obtained within the region of troughs, simple grabens, and pit chains, as well as average spacings of pits along pit chains. These data were used together with techniques to estimate depths of crustal mechanical discontinuities that may have controlled the development of these features. In turn, such discontinuities may be controlled by stratigraphy, presence of water or ice, or chemical cementation.

Davis, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Sudbury project (University of Muenster-Ontario Geological Survey): Summary of results - an updated impact model

In 1984 the Ontario Geological Survey initiated a research project on the Sudbury structure (SS) in cooperation with the University of Muenster. The project included field mapping (1984-1989) and petrographic, chemical, and isotope analyses of the major stratigraphic units of the SS. Four diploma theses and four doctoral theses were performed during the project (1984-1992). Specific results of the various investigations are reported. Selected areas of the SS were mapped and sampled: Footwall rocks; Footwall breccia and parts of the sublayer and lower section of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC); Onaping Formation and the upper section of the SIC; and Sudbury breccia and adjacent Footwall rocks along extended profiles up to 55 km from the SIC. All these stratigraphic units of the SS were studied in substantial detail by previous workers. The most important characteristic of the previous research is that it was based either on a volcanic model or on a mixed volcanic-impact model for the origin of the SS. The present project was clearly directed toward a test of the impact origin of the SS without invoking an endogenic component. In general, our results confirm the most widely accepted stratigraphic division of the SS. However, our interpretation of some of the major stratigraphic units is different from most views expressed. The stratigraphy of the SS and its new interpretation is given as a basis for discussion.

Avermann, M.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Martian Polar Impact Craters: A Preliminary Assessment Using Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)

Our knowledge of the age of the layered polar deposits and their activity in the volatile cycling and climate history of Mars is based to a large extent on their apparent ages as determined from crater counts. Interpretation of the polar stratigraphy (in terms of climate change) is complicated by reported differences in the ages of the northern and southern layered deposits. The north polar residual ice deposits are thought to be relatively young, based on the reported lack of any fresh impact craters in Viking Orbiter Images. Herkenhoff et al., report no craters at all on the North polar layered deposits or ice cap, and placed an upper bound on the surface age (or, alternatively, the vertical resurfacing rate) of 100 thousand years to 10 million years, suggesting that the north polar region is an active resurfacing site. In contrast, the southern polar region was found to have at least 15 impact craters in the layered deposits and cap. Plaut et al, concluded that the surface was less than or = 120 million years old. This reported age difference factor of 100 to 1000 increases complexity in climate and volatile modeling. Recent MOLA results for the topography of the northern polar cap document a handful or more of possible craters, which could result in revised age or resurfacing estimates for the northern cap. This study is a preliminary look at putative craters in both polar caps. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Sakimoto, S. E. H.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The composition and history of breccia 67015 from North Ray Crater

Feldspathic fragmental breccia (FFB) 67015 from the rim of North Ray Crater was examined and was found to be the most diverse and complex of the Apollo 16 FFBs. It contains a wider range of clast types than any of the others and is not dominated by any single lithology. Several crystalline lithologies, occurring in minor amounts, were identified that represent highland plutonic rocks. Plagioclase fragments are the most abundant breccia constituent, followed by clasts of impact melt rocks and granulites. The impact melts are of two main types: feldspathic fragment-laden melts and mafic, KREEPy melt rocks of VHA basalt composition. Textural evidence indicates that some of the VHA melts were hot and plastic when they accumulated into the breccia. Ar-40 - Ar-39 dates show that both types of melts solidified about 3.9 x 10 to the 9th years ago. Magnetic measurements on clasts show a scatter of NMR directions, making it impossible to read a consistent imprint of an ancient dipolar magnetic field. Previous studies of Apollo 16 stratigraphy suggested that KREEPy melt rocks were introduced to the site as Imbrium impact ejecta, about 3.8 million years ago. Present results indicate that the highlands crust contained KREEP components as early as 3.9 x 10 to the 9th years ago.

Marvin, Ursula B.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Timescales of mafic magmatic fractionation documented by paleosecular variation in basaltic drill core, Snake River Plain volcanic province, Idaho, USA

Abstract The timescales over which fractional crystallization and recharge work in mafic volcano-plutonic provinces is subject to great uncertainty. Currently modeled processes are subject to the scale of measurement: monogenetic basaltic fields accumulate over hundreds of thousands of years, consistent with U-Th-Ra isotopic variations that imply 50% crystallization of basic magmas on timescales of 100,000 years or more, whereas crystal diffusion modeling implies phenocryst residence times of ~1–1000 years. Monogenetic basalts of the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho, USA, are up to 2 km thick and postdate passage over the Yellowstone–Snake River Plain hotspot. Detailed lithologic and geophysical logging of core from deep drill holes, along with chemical stratigraphy and high-resolution paleomagnetic inclination measurements, document individual eruptive units, compound lava flows, and basaltic flow groups that accumulated over 1–6 m.y. Hiatuses are commonly marked by loess or fluvial interbeds that vary from ~0.1 m thick to 20 m thick. Radiometric (40Ar-39Ar, detrital zircon U-Pb) and paleomagnetic timescale ages show that the deepest hole (Kimama drill hole, 1912 m total depth) accumulated over ~6 m.y. Cycles of fractional crystallization and recharge are recognized in the chemical stratigraphy as up-section shifts in major and trace elements; these fractionation cycles commonly represent 40%–50% fractionation. Individual fractionation cycles may comprise 20–40 eruptive units (8–17 lava flows) with little to no change in paleomagnetic inclination (0°–1°), whereas adjacent cycles may differ by several degrees from one another or reflect changes in polarity. Rates of paleosecular variation in Holocene lavas and sediments dated using 14C document significant shifts in magnetic inclination over short timescales, ranging from ~0.05° to 2°/decade, with an average of ~0.5°/decade and a minimum rate of 0.05°/decade. This implies that fractionation cycles with ≤1° variation in magnetic inclination formed on timescales of a few decades up to a few centuries (20–200 years). Thus, the lavas collectively represent only a few thousand years of eruptive activity, with major flow groups separated in time by tens to hundreds of thousands of years. We suggest that the rates defined by paleosecular variation capture the timescales of magmatic chamber evolution (fractionation/recharge) in the seismically imaged mid-crustal sill complex; in contrast, we suggest that crystal diffusion modeling captures the residence times in shallow subvolcanic magmatic chambers that underlie individual monogenetic volcanoes.

Geology↗

NASA NTRS2014

Development of a Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (LITMS) Investigation for Future Planetary Surface Missions

Future surface missions to Mars and other planetary bodies will benefit from continued advances in miniature sensor and sample handling technologies that enable high-performance chemical analyses of natural samples. Fine-scale (approx.1 mm and below) analyses of rock surfaces and interiors, such as exposed on a drill core, will permit (1) the detection of habitability markers including complex organics in association with their original depositional environment, and (2) the characterization of successive layers and gradients that can reveal the time-evolution of those environments. In particular, if broad-based and highly-sensitive mass spectrometry techniques could be brought to such scales, the resulting planetary science capability would be truly powerful. The Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (LITMS) investigation is designed to conduct fine-scale organic and inorganic analyses of short (approx.5-10 cm) rock cores such as could be acquired by a planetary lander or rover arm-based drill. LITMS combines both pyrolysis/gas chromatograph mass spectrometry (GCMS) of sub-sampled core fines, and laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) of the intact core surface, using a common mass analyzer, enhanced from the design used in the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) instrument on the 2018 ExoMars rover. LITMS additionally features developments based on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation on MSL and recent NASA-funded prototype efforts in laser mass spectrometry, pyrolysis, and precision subsampling. LITMS brings these combined capabilities to achieve its four measurement objectives: (1) Organics: Broad Survey Detect organic molecules over a wide range of molecular weight, volatility, electronegativity, concentration, and host mineralogy. (2) Organic: Molecular Structure Characterize internal molecular structure to identify individual compounds, and reveal functionalization and processing. (3) Inorganic Host Environment Assess the local chemical/mineralogical makeup of organic host phases to help determine deposition and preservation factors. (4) Chemical Stratigraphy Analyze the fine spatial distribution and variation of key species with depth.

Mars↗

DOE OSTI2026

Geology of the One Earth Energy Site

The One Earth Energy site is one of two sites in the Illinois Storage Corridor (ISC) project. The objectives of the ISC project is to accelerate commercial deployment of carbon capture utilization and storage at two individual sites and receive approvals for Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI permits for construction at each site. At the One Earth Energy site, an extensive data collection program was undertaken, which included the drilling of a test well (One Earth Energy #1 [OEE #1]), four 2D seismic lines, and a small 3D seismic survey. The OEE #1 well was drilled in 2022 and acquired extensive core, log, and testing data to characterize the subsurface geology of the site. Coring was focused on the storage interval, the Mt. Simon Sandstone, and the confining interval, the Eau Claire Formation. The core and log data were used to evaluate the sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy, as well as to develop the conceptual geologic model. This report includes the geological summaries of the Mt. Simon Sandstone and the Eau Claire Formation. The extensive analysis of the log data is included in the petrophysical section, showing ranges of porosity, estimated pore size, and the mineral content of selected zones in the well. The separate petrographic technical report entitled “Petrographic and Advanced Geologic Characterization Report on One Earth Energy #1 (API# 1211325373)”, report number DOE-UIUC-0031892-04, details thin section point-counting analysis that includes mineralogical and pore space analysis, including grain size analysis, annotated thin section photomicrographs, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and statistics of grain size analysis on Mt. Simon thin sections from OEE #1. The final OEE #1 well data to be included in this geology report is the routine core analysis of both whole core plugs and rotary sidewall core plugs. In addition to the OEE #1 well, four 2D seismic lines and a small 3D survey were acquired as part of the overall subsurface geological characterization. This geology report references the seismic interpretation report, entitled “One Earth Energy Site Seismic Interpretation Task 5.0”, report number DOE-UIUC-0031892-07. This report details the stratigraphic and structural interpretation of the 2D and 3D seismic data acquired at the One Earth Energy site. The 2D seismic data was acquired in 2019 and 2021, and the 3D survey was acquired in 2022. The objectives of the seismic programs were to contribute to the subsurface characterization of the Mt. Simon-Eau Claire Storage Complex by evaluating the continuity of potential storage reservoirs and containment intervals across the project area, and to determine if any geologic features are present that would increase containment risk to the proposed carbon storage project.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Acid Alteration of Clay Minerals With Implication for Mars’ Surface Processes

The co-occurrence of phyllosilicates (clays) and sulfate stratigraphies at many locations on Mars are associated with a sharp change in surface conditions from neutral/alkaline pH during the Noachian (4.1-3.7 Ga) which favored the formation of clays to acidic conditions during the Hesperian (3.7-2.9 Ga) which favored the formation of sulfates. Yet, if these two contrasting geosystems were temporarily sequential, it is unknown how the Hesperian acidic conditions altered the previously formed clay units. We performed laboratory batch experiments to fingerprint the diagnostic features produced during interactions of Mars-analog clays and acidic solutions. Two clays, and silicon (IV) oxide, were reacted with solution of either sulfuric acid or filtered natural acid rock drainage (ARD) in plastic bottles. The solutions were adjusted at four pH values (1, 3, 5, and 7) and reacted at 4, 30, and 80°C for 3, 7, and 14 days. At the end of the experiments, the filtered supernatants were analyzed by ICP-MS while the solids were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction; Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence analyses; Raman and Short-Wave Infrared spectroscopies and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Results show that the solution chemistry played a key role in the evolution of the clay-solution systems. In H2SO4 systems, the solution pH steadily increased due to partial clay dissolution with no secondary phase formation detected. Contrary, in the ARD systems, the pH decreased due to the ample presence of Fe which controlled both the reactivity of clays by the growth of protecting surface coatings and the solution pH by the precipitation of Fe nanophases; secondary phase detected included goethite, jarosite, gypsum, and siderite. These results indicate that, on Mars, the chemical interaction between clays and acidic solutions was complex and dependent on the solution chemistry. Acidic, sulfate-rich solutions have a high dissolution capacity and could have induced widespread clay disintegration. Notably, if Fe-rich ARD was involved, the clays on Mars could have remained stable during acidic Hesperian period due to formation of protective coatings. Comparison of our results with martian observations will be performed to determine how acidic conditions could potentially affect clays in sedimentary settings, including the Gale crater.

L. Lefticariu↗

NASA NTRS2018

Sample Return Systems for Extreme Environments (SaRSEE)

Sample return missions offer a greater science yield when compared to missions that only employ in situ experiments or remote sensing observations, since they allow the application of more complex technological and analytical methodologies in controlled terrestrial laboratories,that are both repeatable and can be independently verified. The successful return of extraterrestrial materials over the last four decades has contributed to our understanding of the solar system, but retrieval techniques have largely depended on the use of either soft-landing, or touch-and-go procedures that result in high V requirements, larger spacecraft mass ratios, and return yields typically limited to a few grams of surface materials that have experienced varying degrees of alteration from space weathering. Hard-landing methods using planetary penetrators offer an alternative for sample return that significantly reduce a mission's V and mass ratios,increase sample yields, and allow for the collection of subsurface materials, and lessons can be drawn from previous sample return missions. The following details progress in the design,development, and testing of penetrator/sampler technology capable of surviving subsonic and low, supersonic impact velocities (<700 m/s) that would enable the collection of geologic materials using tether technology to return the sample to a passing spacecraft. The testing of energy absorbing material for protecting the sample, design evolution and field testing of the penetrator, and dynamic modeling of tether behavior during sampling are discussed. It is shown through both modeling and field testing that penetrators at speeds between 300-600 m/s (~Mach 1-2) can penetrator into the ground to depths of 1-2 m with overall structural integrity attained.The first flight tests demonstrated the potential for survivability at these speeds. The second flight series demonstrated core sample collection with partial ejection of the sample return canister. The 3rd flight series demonstrated self-ejection of the sample return system fully intact and with the core retaining the full stratigraphy of the rock bed. The tether analysis shows that the forces on the tether during release and return of the sample to the main spacecraft are all at levels that can easily be handled by existing tether materials. The mass analysis of the requirements indicates that sample return form the asteroids could be handled with Discovery or New Frontier range of missions dependent on the number of samples to be returned to the Earth.

Winglee, R. M.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Dense Seismic Array Study of a Legacy Underground Nuclear Test at the Nevada National Security Site

The complex postdetonation geologic structures that form after an underground nuclear explosion are difficult to constrain because increased heterogeneity around the damage zone affects seismic waves that propagate through the explosion site. Generally, a vertical rubble-filled structure known as a chimney is formed after an underground nuclear explosion that is composed of debris that falls into the subsurface cavity generated by the explosion. Compared with chimneys that collapse fully, leaving a surface crater, partially collapsed chimneys can have remnant subsurface cavities left in place above collapsed rubble. The 1964 nuclear test HADDOCK, conducted at the Nevada test site (now the Nevada National Security Site), formed a partially collapsed chimney with no surface crater. Understanding the subsurface structure of these features has significant national security applications, such as aiding the study of suspected underground nuclear explosions under a treaty verification. In this study, we investigated the subsurface architecture of the HADDOCK legacy nuclear test using hybrid 2D–3D active source seismic reflection and refraction data. The seismic data were acquired using 275 survey shots from the Seismic Hammer (a 13,000 kg weight drop) and 65 survey shots from a smaller accelerated weight drop, both recorded by ~1000 three-component 5 Hz geophones. First-arrival, P-wave tomographic modeling shows a low-velocity anomaly at ~200 m depth, likely an air-filled cavity caused by partial collapse of the rock column into the temporary postdetonation cavity. A high-velocity anomaly between 20 and 60 m depth represents spall-related compaction of the shallow alluvium. Hints of low velocities are also present near the burial depth (~364 m). The reflection seismic data show a prominent subhorizontal reflector at ~300 m depth, a short-curved reflector at ~200 m, and a high-amplitude reflector at ~50 m depth. Comparisons of the reflection sections to synthetic data and borehole stratigraphy suggest that these features correspond to the alluvium–tuff contact, the partial collapse cavity, and the spalled layer, respectively.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2020

Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sedimentary Rocks and Eolian Sediments in Gale Crater, Mars: A Review After Six Earth Years of Exploration with Curiosity

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover arrived at Mars in August 2012 with a primary goal of characterizing the habitability of ancient and modern environments. Curiosity was sent to Gale crater to study a sequence of ∼3.5 Ga old sedimentary rocks that, based on orbital visible and near- to short-wave infrared reflectance spectra, contain secondary minerals that suggest deposition and/or alteration in liquid water. The sedimentary sequence in the lower slopes of Mount Sharp in Gale crater preserves a dramatic shift on early Mars from a relatively warm and wet climate to a cold and dry climate, based on a transition from smectite-bearing strata to sulfate-bearing strata. The rover is equipped with instruments to examine the sedimentology and identify compositional changes in the stratigraphy. The Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument is one of two internal laboratories on Curiosity and includes a transmission X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. CheMin measures loose sediment samples scooped from the surface and drilled rock powders, and the XRD provides quantitative mineralogy to a detection limit of ∼1 wt.% for crystalline phases. Curiosity has traversed>20 km since landing and has primarily been exploring an ancient lake environment fed by streams and groundwater. Of the 19 drilled rock samples analyzed by CheMin as of sol 2300 (January 2019), 15 are from fluvio-lacustrine deposits that comprise the Bradbury and Murray formations. Most of these samples were drilled from units that did not have a clear mineralogical signature from orbit. Results from CheMin demonstrate an astounding diversity in the mineralogy of these rocks that signifies geochemical variations in source rocks, transportation mechanisms, and depositional and diagenetic fluids. Most detrital igneous minerals are basaltic, but the discovery in a few samples of abundant silicate minerals that usually crystallize from evolved magmas on Earth remains enigmatic. Trioctahedral smectite and magnetite at the base of the section may have formed from low-salinity pore waters with a circumneutral pH in lake sediments. A transition to dioctahedral smectite, hematite, and Ca-sulfate going up section suggests a change to more saline and oxidative aqueous conditions in the lake waters themselves and/or in diagenetic fluids. Perhaps one of the biggest mysteries revealed by CheMin is the high abundance of X-ray amorphous materials (15–73 wt.%) in all samples drilled or scooped to date. CheMin has analyzed three modern eolian sands, which have helped constrain sediment transport and mineral segregation across the active Bagnold Dune Field. Ancient eolian sandstones drilled from the Stimson formation differ from modern eolian sands in that they contain abundant magnetite but no olivine, suggesting that diagenetic processes led to the alteration of olivine to release Fe(II) and precipitate magnetite. Fracture-associated halos in the Stimson and the Murray formations are evidence for complex aqueous processes long after the streams and lakes vanished from Gale crater. The sedimentology and composition of the rocks analyzed by Curiosity demonstrate that habitable environments persisted intermittently on the surface or in the subsurface of Gale crater for perhaps more than a billion years.

E.B. Rampe↗

DOE OSTI2021

Mechanism of Microseismic Generation During Hydraulic Fracturing - With Evidence From HFTS 2 Observations

The objective of this study is to understand how microseismic events are generated during hydraulic fracturing, as well as the role of geomechanical conditions (i.e., stress and mechanical stratigraphy) in this process. In the industry, microseismic event clouds have been generally used as an “outer-boundary” of the “stimulated reservoir volume” (SRV). However, by comparing with other surveillance data (Low frequency Distributed Acoustic Sensing, or LF-DAS strain) in the Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site (HFTS) 2 experiment, we show that this assumption is fundamentally flawed. The HFTS 2 data has three unique observations that have not been commonly observed in other datasets: 1. Due to influence of offset pad depletion, microseismic data shows that hydraulic fractures from the child well can propagate over 3000 feet into the depleted low stress zone. 2. By comparing microseismic and horizontal fiber LF-DAS strain data, we observe that microseismic event cloud does not necessarily reflect the created hydraulic fracture volume. Particularly, the extent of microseismic event clouds near heel stages are much shorter than what is shown with LF-DAS strain data. 3. Microseismic event magnitudes are larger in the depleted regions. Through geomechanical analysis, we demonstrate that the “bedding-plane-slip” model is likely the mechanism for microseismic generation during hydraulic fracturing. Furthermore, this model successfully explains the above field observations from HFTS 2 experiment. We also provide a quantitative relationship connecting the microseismic event magnitude with fracture width increment and layer mechanical property contrast.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗