# Presentation: 400216

## THE EBERSWALDE DELTAIC COMPLEX AS A HIGH SCIENCE-RETURN TARGET FOR THE 2009 MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY 

**THE EBERSWALDE DELTAIC COMPLEX AS A HIGH SCIENCE-RETURN TARGET FOR THE 2009 MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY**** **

**Juergen Schieber****, Department of Geological Sciences,****       Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405**
**Ken Edgett****, Malin Space Sci. Sys., P.O. Box 910148,****       San Diego, CA 92191-0148**
**Michelle Minitti****, Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona****       State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1404**
**	****	**Image Credits: NASA/JPL/MSSS** **

## QUESTION of HABITABILITY – FOLLOW the WATER

**Sedimentary Rocks Typically are ****Layered****.**
**Numerous Outcrops of Layered Rocks Have Been Found on Mars (MOC images).**

**QUESTION of HABITABILITY – FOLLOW the WATER**

## Eagle Crater/Meridiani                          – sulfates, spherules, sand, cross-bedding

_**MER Team:**_**                playa – dune complex, water in pores & at surface**
_**McCollum & Hynek:**_**  volcanic ash beds / volcanic surge deposits**
_**Knauth et al.:**_**             impact surge deposits                                     **

_**Problem:**_** ALL Sediments are Layered****                 But - NOT All Layered Rocks are Sedimentary**

**UNCERTAINTY - *****Which Location with Layered******            Rocks to Choose for the MSL Mission?***

## The Question of Habitability – Not Just Where H2O                                                 – But When?

**Omega mapping of smectites suggests more water and surficial bodies of water early in Mars history (Bibring et al., Science, v. 312, p. 400, 2006).**

**Mawrth Vallis smectite-rich outcrops (blue) are of Noachian age (Poulet et al., Nature, v. 438, p. 623-627, 2005)**

## If even the Meridiani sediments are not clear cut sediments to everyone, is it possible to find any place where aqueous deposition can not be questioned?                     Fortunately – there is.

***- *****(1)***** Layered Rocks Deposited in an Aqueous Environment***
***- *****(2)***** Rocks from Early in Mars History (Noachian)***

**If even the Meridiani sediments are not clear cut sediments to everyone, is it possible to find any place where aqueous deposition can not be questioned?                     *****Fortunately – there is.***

_**The Sediments we know Best:**_**   Meridiani**
**	**_**MER Team:**_**                playa – dune complex, water in pores & at surface**
**	**_**McCollum & Hynek:**_**  volcanic ash beds / volcanic surge deposits**
**	**_**Knauth et al.:**_**             impact surge deposits**

## The Smoking Gun: Eberswalde Deltaic Complex

_**The Smoking Gun: Eberswalde Deltaic Complex**_
** ****persistent fluvial****    activity**
** ****extended time****    periods of rainfall**
** ****into standing body****    of water**
** ****definitely deposited****    by flowing water**
** ****No plausible****    alternative scenario**

## Meandering Channels      prime evidence for      on-going, persistent      flow of water

_**Channels**_** record complex **
**     ****history of migration, **
**     ****avulsion and bifurcation**

##  Multiple Delta Lobes

** ****Multiple Delta Lobes**
** **
** ****up to 150 m of sediment**
** ****6-30 km****3**** sediment vol.**
** **
** ****minimum duration****  estimates, 10’s to 100’s of****  years (Jerolmack et al.,****  Lewis & Aharonson)**
** ****by comparison to****  terrestrial analogs,****  sedimentary record more****  likely ranges from ****  150, 000 years to several****  million years****  (Bhattacharya et al.)**

## SO, WHERE to LAND ?

_**SO, WHERE to LAND ?**_

**Eberswalde within Latitudinal and Elevation Constraints for MSL, ****Overall Slopes Gentle (< 10 deg.)****    ****Dickson et al. next talk**

## With a minimal drive-to capability of 20 km, the logical place would be # 2 

**With a minimal drive-to capability of 20 km, the logical place would be # 2 **

**Yet, topography is rough in comparison with e.g. the MER-B landing site**
**A more realistic ellipse ****(20 x 3 km)**** can be placed across “smoother” portions of Eberswalde Crater**** **

## Yet, in close-up even those areas have roughness due to eroded bedrock surfaces (MOC R13-02140, 3 km wide)

**Yet, in close-up even those areas have roughness due to eroded bedrock surfaces ****(MOC R13-02140, 3 km wide)**

**500 m**

## Yet, in close-up even those areas have roughness due to eroded bedrock surfaces (MOC R06-00324, 3 km wide)

**Yet, in close-up even those areas have roughness due to eroded bedrock surfaces ****(MOC R06-00324, 3 km wide)**

**500 m**

## With MRO observations over the # 1 to Delta traverse, a route of interesting outcrops could be chosen. Most likely Noachian sediments, water deposited in part?  

**At site # 1 or vicinity a 20x3 km ellipse could probably be fitted onto pretty smooth terrain, but we would have to drive about 40 km to get to the delta complex**
**NOT within MSL specs, BUT.....**
**Because of the widespread bedrock erosion it is likely that there would ****be plenty of interesting and most likely sedimentary bed rock outcrops along a drive towards the Delta**

**With MRO observations over the # 1 to Delta traverse, a route of interesting outcrops could be chosen. Most likely Noachian sediments, water deposited in part?  **

**If MSL is similarly durable as the MER rovers, it may well be able to make the trip and cap its observations with an in depth examination of the Eberswalde Delta complex. **

## +

|  | Latitude | Longitude | Elevation (m) | Landing / Drive |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ellipse 1 | 23.968 S | 34.442 W | - 400 to -600 | smoothest, long drive |
| Ellipse 2 | 24.091 S | 33.325 W | approx. - 1400  | ± rough, but close |
| Ellipse 3 | 23.762 S | 33.050 W | - 600 to -700 | ± smooth, long drive |

**3 km**

**+**

**+**

**+**

## Studying Eberswalde will require either a long drive or landing in rough terrain, but the scientific payback would be tremendous

**Goodies for Everyone:  **_**For the Sedimentologists**_
** ****Sedimentary Rocks, aqueous environment.  Rainfall & sustained****      flow. Soil and clay formation?**
** ****Standing Body of Water, accumulation of fines likely.**
** ****Heterolithic Succession, softer****      intervals mudstones?**
** ****Point bar and deltaic shallowing ****      upwards successions? Types &****      associations of sedimentary ****      features? Prodelta mudstones?**
** ****Microbial mats in sandy/muddy****      deposits on delta platform? **

**100 m**

## Studying Eberswalde will require either a long drive or landing in rough terrain, but the scientific payback would be tremendous

**Goodies for Everyone:** _**For the Exobiologist**_
** ****Aqueous environment**
** ****Standing Body of Water**
** ****Noachian in Age**
** ****If life was present, remains should have been buried in****    prodelta deposits**
** ****Good preservation of organic matter & biomarkers****    because of rapid burial in prodelta muds?**
** ****Potential for preserving microbial mats in sandy and****    muddy deposits on delta platform? **