Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars

作者：N. Mangold, Sanjeev Gupta, O. Gasnault, Gilles Dromart, Jesse Tarnas, Steven Sholes, B. Horgan, C. Quantin-Nataf, A. J. Brown, Stéphane Le Mouëlic, R. A. Yingst, J. F. Bell, Olivier Beyssac, Tanja Bosak, F. J. Calef, B. L. Ehlmann, Kenneth A. Farley, J. P. Grotzinger, Keyron Hickman‐Lewis, Sanna Holm‐Alwmark, Linda C. Kah, Jesús Martínez‐Frías, S. M. McLennan, S. Maurice, Jorge I. Núñez, A. Ollila, P. Pilleri, J. W. Rice, M. S. Rice, J. I. Simon, David L. Shuster, K. M. Stack, V. Z. Sun, A. H. Treiman, B. P. Weiss, R. C. Wiens, Amy J. Williams, N. R. Williams, Kenneth H. Williford · 发表于：Science · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1126/science.abl4051 · 被引用次数：213 · 研究领域：Planetary Science and Exploration、Astro and Planetary Science、Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life

Observations from orbital spacecraft have shown that Jezero crater on Mars contains a prominent fan-shaped body of sedimentary rock deposited at its western margin. The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater in February 2021. We analyze images taken by the rover in the 3 months after landing. The fan has outcrop faces, which were invisible from orbit, that record the hydrological evolution of Jezero crater. We interpret the presence of inclined strata in these outcrops as evidence of deltas that advanced into a lake. In contrast, the uppermost fan strata are composed of boulder conglomerates, which imply deposition by episodic high-energy floods. This sedimentary succession indicates a transition from sustained hydrologic activity in a persistent lake environment to highly energetic short-duration fluvial flows.