Publications

In situ radiometric and exposure age dating of the martian surface

Weigle G, Schmidt M, Li S, Milliken R, Robertson K, Sun V, Baker M, Edwards C, Ehlmann B, Farley K, Griffes J, Grotzinger J, Miller H, Newcombe M, Pilorget C, Rice M, Siebach K, Stack K, Stolper E, Brunet C, Hipkin V, Léveillé R, Marchand G, Sobrón Sánchez P, Favot L, Cody G, Steele A, Flückiger L, Lees D, Nefian A, Martin M, Gailhanou M, Westall F, Israël G, Agard C, Baroukh J, Donny C, Gaboriaud A, Guillemot P, Lafaille V, Lorigny E, Paillet A, Pérez R, Saccoccio M, Yana C, Armiens-Aparicio C, Caride Rodríguez J, Carrasco Blázquez I, Gómez Gómez F, Gómez-Elvira J, Hettrich S, Lepinette Malvitte A, Marín Jiménez M, Martínez-Frías J, Martín-Soler J, Martín-Torres FJ, Molina Jurado A, Mora-Sotomayor L, Muñoz Caro G, Navarro López S, Peinado-González V, Pla-García J, Rodriguez Manfredi JA, Romeral-Planelló JJ, Sans Fuentes SA, Sebastian Martinez E, Torres Redondo J, Urqui-O'Callaghan R, Zorzano Mier MP, Chipera S, Lacour JL, Mauchien P, Sirven JB, Manning H, Fairén A, Hayes A, Joseph J, Squyres S, Sullivan R, Thomas P, Dupont A, Lundberg A, Melikechi N, Mezzacappa A, DeMarines J, Grinspoon D, Reitz G, Prats B, Atlaskin E, Genzer M, Harri AM, Haukka H, Kahanpää H, Kauhanen J, Kemppinen O, Paton M, Polkko J, Schmidt W, Siili T, Fabre C, Wray J, Wilhelm MB, Poitrasson F, Patel K, Gorevan S, Indyk S, Paulsen G, Gupta S, Bish D, Schieber J, Gondet B, Langevin Y, Geffroy C, Baratoux D, Berger G, Cros A, d'Uston C, Forni O, Gasnault O, Lasue J, Lee QM, Maurice S, Meslin PY, Pallier E, Parot Y, Pinet P, Schröder S, Toplis M, Lewin É, Brunner W, Heydari E, Achilles C, Oehler D, Sutter B, Cabane M, Coscia D, Szopa C, Dromart G, Robert F, Sautter V, Le Mouélic S, Mangold N, Nachon M, Buch A, Stalport F, Coll P, François P, Raulin F, Teinturier S, Cameron J, Clegg S, Cousin A, DeLapp D, Dingler R, Jackson RS, Johnstone S, Lanza N, Little C, Nelson T, Wiens RC, Williams RB, Jones A, Kirkland L, Treiman A, Baker B, Cantor B, Caplinger M, Davis S, Duston B, Edgett K, Fay D, Hardgrove C, Harker D, Herrera P, Jensen E, Kennedy MR, Krezoski G, Krysak D, Lipkaman L, Malin M, McCartney E, McNair S, Nixon B, Posiolova L, Ravine M, Salamon A, Saper L, Stoiber K, Supulver K, Van Beek J, Van Beek T, Zimdar R, French KL, Iagnemma K, Miller K, Summons R, Goesmann F, Goetz W, Hviid S, Johnson M, Lefavor M, Lyness E, Breves E, Dyar MD, Fassett C, Blake DF, Bristow T, DesMarais D, Edwards L, Haberle R, Hoehler T, Hollingsworth J, Kahre M, Keely L, McKay C, Bleacher L, Brinckerhoff W, Choi D, Conrad P, Dworkin JP, Eigenbrode J, Floyd M, Freissinet C, Garvin J, Glavin D, Harpold D, Mahaffy P, Martin DK, McAdam A, Pavlov A, Raaen E, Smith MD, Stern J, Tan F, Trainer M, Meyer M, Posner A, Voytek M, Anderson RC, Aubrey A, Beegle LW, Behar A, Blaney D, Brinza D, Calef F, Christensen L, Crisp JA, DeFlores L, Feldman J, Feldman S, Flesch G, Hurowitz J, Jun I, Keymeulen D, Maki J, Mischna M, Morookian JM, Parker T, Pavri B, Schoppers M, Sengstacken A, Simmonds JJ, Spanovich N, de la Torre Juarez M, Vasavada AR, Webster CR, Yen A, Archer PD, Cucinotta F, Jones JH, Ming D, Morris RV, Niles P, Rampe E, Nolan T, Fisk M, Radziemski L, Barraclough B, Bender S, Berman D, Noe Dobrea E, Tokar R, Vaniman D, Williams RM, Yingst A, Lewis K, Leshin L, Cleghorn T, Huntress W, Manhès G, Hudgins J, Olson T, Stewart N, Sarrazin P, Grant J, Vicenzi E, Wilson SA, Bullock M, Ehresmann B, Hamilton V, Hassler D, Peterson J, Rafkin S, Zeitlin C, Fedosov F, Golovin D, Karpushkina N, Kozyrev A, Litvak M, Malakhov A, Mitrofanov I, Mokrousov M, Nikiforov S, Prokhorov V, Sanin A, Tretyakov V, Varenikov A, Vostrukhin A, Kuzmin R, Clark B, Wolff M, McLennan S, Botta O, Drake D, Bean K, Lemmon M, Schwenzer SP, Anderson RB, Herkenhoff K, Lee EM, Sucharski R, de Pablo Hernández MÁ, Blanco Ávalos JJ, Ramos M, Kim MH, Malespin C, Plante I, Muller JP, Navarro-González R, Ewing R, Boynton W, Downs R, Fitzgibbon M, Harshman K, Morrison S, Dietrich W, Kortmann O, Palucis M, Sumner DY, Williams A, Lugmair G, Wilson MA, Rubin D, Jakosky B, Balic-Zunic T, Frydenvang J, Jensen JK, Kinch K, Koefoed A, Madsen MB, Stipp SL, Boyd N, Campbell JL, Gellert R, Perrett G, Pradler I, VanBommel S, Jacob S, Owen T, Rowland S, Savijärvi H, Boehm E, Böttcher S, Burmeister S, Guo J, Köhler J, Martín García C, Mueller-Mellin R, Wimmer-Schweingruber R, Bridges JC, McConnochie T, Benna M, Franz H, Bower H, Brunner A, Blau H, Boucher T, Carmosino M, Atreya S, Elliott H, Halleaux D, Rennó N, Wong M, Pepin R, Elliott B, Spray J, Thompson L, Gordon S, Newsom H, Ollila A, Williams J, Vasconcelos P, Bentz J, Nealson K, Popa R, Kah LC, Moersch J, Tate C, Day M, Kocurek G, Hallet B, Sletten R, Francis R, McCullough E, Cloutis E, ten Kate IL, Arvidson R, Fraeman A, Scholes D, Slavney S, Stein T, Ward J, Berger J, Moores JE

PMID: 24324273

Abstract

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 (3)He, (21)Ne, and (36)Ar 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.