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Journal Articles Nature Communications Year : 2020

Geology of the InSight landing site on Mars

M. Golombek (1) , N. H Warner (2) , J. A Grant (3) , E. Hauber (4) , V. Ansan (5) , C. M Weitz (6) , N. Williams (1) , C. Charalambous (7) , S. A Wilson (3) , A. Demott (2) , M. Kopp (2) , H. Lethcoe-Wilson (1) , L. Berger (1) , R. Hausmann (1) , E. Marteau (1) , C. Vrettos (8) , A. Trussell (1) , W. Folkner (1) , S. Le Maistre (9) , N. Mueller (4) , M. Grott (4) , T. Spohn (4) , S. Piqueux (1) , E. Millour (10) , F. Forget (10) , I. Daubar (1) , N. Murdoch (11) , P Lognonné (12) , C. Perrin (12) , S. Rodriguez (12) , W. T Pike (7) , T. Parker (1) , J. Maki (1) , H. Abarca (1) , R. Deen (1) , J. Hall (1) , P. Andres (1) , N. Ruoff (1) , F. Calef (1) , S. Smrekar (1) , Mark D. Baker (3, 13) , M. Banks (14) , A. Spiga (10) , D. Banfield (15) , J. Garvin (14) , C. E Newman (16) , W. B Banerdt (1)
M. Golombek
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
N. H Warner
  • Function : Author
State University of New York at Geneseo
J. A Grant
  • Function : Author
Smithsonian Institution
E. Hauber
DLR Institute of Planetary Research
V. Ansan
Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique [UMR 6112]
C. M Weitz
  • Function : Author
Planetary Science Institute [Tucson]
N. Williams
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
C. Charalambous
Department of Mechanical Engineering [Imperial College London]
S. A Wilson
  • Function : Author
Smithsonian Institution
A. Demott
  • Function : Author
State University of New York at Geneseo
M. Kopp
State University of New York at Geneseo
H. Lethcoe-Wilson
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
L. Berger
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
R. Hausmann
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
E. Marteau
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
C. Vrettos
Technical University of Kaiserslautern
A. Trussell
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
W. Folkner
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
S. Le Maistre
  • Function : Author
Royal Observatory of Belgium = Observatoire Royal de Belgique
N. Mueller
DLR Institute of Planetary Research
M. Grott
DLR Institute of Planetary Research
T. Spohn
DLR Institute of Planetary Research
S. Piqueux
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
E. Millour
Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539)
F. Forget
Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539)
I. Daubar
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
N. Murdoch
Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace
P Lognonné
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
CV
C. Perrin
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
S. Rodriguez
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
W. T Pike
  • Function : Author
Department of Mechanical Engineering [Imperial College London]
T. Parker
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
J. Maki
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
H. Abarca
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
R. Deen
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
J. Hall
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
P. Andres
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
N. Ruoff
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
F. Calef
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
S. Smrekar
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mark D. Baker
  • Function : Author
Smithsonian Institution
Johns Hopkins University
M. Banks
  • Function : Author
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
A. Spiga
Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539)
CV
D. Banfield
Cornell University [New York]
J. Garvin
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
C. E Newman
  • Function : Author
Aeolis Research
W. B Banerdt
  • Function : Author
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Abstract

The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) spacecraft landed successfully on Mars and imaged the surface to characterize the surficial geology. Here we report on the geology and subsurface structure of the landing site to aid in situ geophysical investigations. InSight landed in a degraded impact crater in Elysium Planitia on a smooth sandy, granule-and pebble-rich surface with few rocks. Superposed impact craters are common and eolian bedforms are sparse. During landing, pulsed retro-rockets modified the surface to reveal a near surface stratigraphy of surficial dust, over thin unconsolidated sand, underlain by a variable thickness duricrust, with poorly sorted, unconsolidated sand with rocks beneath. Impact, eolian, and mass wasting processes have dominantly modified the surface. Surface observations are consistent with expectations made from remote sensing data prior to landing indicating a surface composed of an impact-fragmented regolith overlying basaltic lava flows.

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Astrophysics [astro-ph]
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Submitted on : Tuesday, May 5, 2020-11:20:07 AM

Last modification on : Wednesday, August 7, 2024-11:42:03 AM

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hal-02563276 , version 1 (05-05-2020)

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M. Golombek, N. H Warner, J. A Grant, E. Hauber, V. Ansan, et al.. Geology of the InSight landing site on Mars. Nature Communications, 2020, 11 (1), pp.1014. ⟨10.1038/s41467-020-14679-1⟩. ⟨hal-02563276⟩

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