Astronomy:Murray Formation

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Geology map - Murray Formation and Aeolis Mons slopes (September 11, 2014)

The Murray Formation is the name given to a distinctive mudstone geologic formation studied by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity at the Gale Crater, Mars.[1]

Stratigraphy

The formation is more than 300 metres (980 ft) thick[2] and is part of the Mount Sharp Group which interfingers with units of the Bradbury Group.[3] The formation is composed mostly of basaltic minerals plus clays, though an intermediate horizon contains tridymite, cristobalite, quartz and opal.[4]

The Murray formation has five named subunits, i.e. Pahrump Hills Member, Hartmann's Valley Member, Karasburg Member, Sutton Island Member, Vera Rubin Ridge Member.[2] It unconformably underlies the Stimson formation.[5]

References

  1.  , Wikidata Q57852716
  2. 2.0 2.1  , Wikidata Q66314517
  3.  , Wikidata Q34497447
  4. McSween, Harry; Moersch, Jeffrey; Burr, Devon; Dunne, William; Emery, Joshua; Kah, Linda; McCanta, Molly (2019). Planetary Geoscience. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 302–310. ISBN 9781107145382. 
  5.  , Wikidata Q66360591