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Science 6 August 2004:
Vol. 305. no. 5685, pp. 824 - 826
DOI: 10.1126/science.3050824
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Reports

Textures of the Soils and Rocks at Gusev Crater from Spirit's Microscopic Imager

K. E. Herkenhoff,1* S. W. Squyres,2 R. Arvidson,3 D. S. Bass,4 J. F. Bell, III,2 P. Bertelsen,5 N. A. Cabrol,6 L. Gaddis,1 A. G. Hayes,2 S. F. Hviid,7 J. R. Johnson,1 K. M. Kinch,8 M. B. Madsen,5 J. N. Maki,4 S. M. McLennan,9 H. Y. McSween,10 J. W. Rice, Jr.,11 M. Sims,12 P. H. Smith,13 L. A. Soderblom,1 N. Spanovich,13 R. Sullivan,2 A. Wang14

The Microscopic Imager on the Spirit rover analyzed the textures of the soil and rocks at Gusev crater on Mars at a resolution of 100 micrometers. Weakly bound agglomerates of dust are present in the soil near the Columbia Memorial Station. Some of the brushed or abraded rock surfaces show igneous textures and evidence for alteration rinds, coatings, and veins consistent with secondary mineralization. The rock textures are consistent with a volcanic origin and subsequent alteration and/or weathering by impact events, wind, and possibly water.

1 U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Team, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA.
2 Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
3 Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
4 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
5 Center for Planetary Science, Danish Space Research Institute and Niels Bohr Institute for Astronomy, Physics, and Geophysics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
6 NASA Ames Research Center/SETI Institute, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
7 Max Planck Institut für Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau, D-37191, Germany.
8 Institute of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
9 State University of New York, Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
10 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
11 Arizona State University, Department of Geological Sciences, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
12 NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
13 University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
14 Department of Earth and Space Sciences and McDonnell Center for Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kherkenhoff{at}usgs.gov

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Evidence from Opportunity's Microscopic Imager for Water on Meridiani Planum.
K. E. Herkenhoff, S. W. Squyres, R. Arvidson, D. S. Bass, J. F. Bell III, P. Bertelsen, B. L. Ehlmann, W. Farrand, L. Gaddis, R. Greeley, et al. (2004)
Science 306, 1727-1730
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The Spirit Rover's Athena Science Investigation at Gusev Crater, Mars.
S. W. Squyres, R. E. Arvidson, J. F. Bell III, J. Bruckner, N. A. Cabrol, W. Calvin, M. H. Carr, P. R. Christensen, B. C. Clark, L. Crumpler, et al. (2004)
Science 305, 794-799
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Pancam Multispectral Imaging Results from the Spirit Rover at Gusev Crater.
J. F. Bell III, S. W. Squyres, R. E. Arvidson, H. M. Arneson, D. Bass, D. Blaney, N. Cabrol, W. Calvin, J. Farmer, W. H. Farrand, et al. (2004)
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Surficial Deposits at Gusev Crater Along Spirit Rover Traverses.
J. A. Grant, R. Arvidson, J. F. Bell III, N. A. Cabrol, M. H. Carr, P. Christensen, L. Crumpler, D. J. Des Marais, B. L. Ehlmann, J. Farmer, et al. (2004)
Science 305, 807-810
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Wind-Related Processes Detected by the Spirit Rover at Gusev Crater, Mars.
R. Greeley, S. W. Squyres, R. E. Arvidson, P. Bartlett, J. F. Bell III, D. Blaney, N. A. Cabrol, J. Farmer, B. Farrand, M. P. Golombek, et al. (2004)
Science 305, 810-813
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Localization and Physical Properties Experiments Conducted by Spirit at Gusev Crater.
R. E. Arvidson, R. C. Anderson, P. Bartlett, J. F. Bell III, D. Blaney, P. R. Christensen, P. Chu, L. Crumpler, K. Davis, B. L. Ehlmann, et al. (2004)
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Magnetic Properties Experiments on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit at Gusev Crater.
P. Bertelsen, W. Goetz, M. B. Madsen, K. M. Kinch, S. F. Hviid, J. M. Knudsen, H. P. Gunnlaugsson, J. Merrison, P. Nornberg, S. W. Squyres, et al. (2004)
Science 305, 827-829
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Chemistry of Rocks and Soils in Gusev Crater from the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer.
R. Gellert, R. Rieder, R. C. Anderson, J. Bruckner, B. C. Clark, G. Dreibus, T. Economou, G. Klingelhofer, G. W. Lugmair, D. W. Ming, et al. (2004)
Science 305, 829-832
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Mineralogy at Gusev Crater from the Mossbauer Spectrometer on the Spirit Rover.
R. V. Morris, G. Klingelhofer, B. Bernhardt, C. Schroder, D. S. Rodionov, P. A. de Souza Jr., A. Yen, R. Gellert, E. N. Evlanov, J. Foh, et al. (2004)
Science 305, 833-836
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Initial Results from the Mini-TES Experiment in Gusev Crater from the Spirit Rover.
P. R. Christensen, S. W. Ruff, R. L. Fergason, A. T. Knudson, S. Anwar, R. E. Arvidson, J. L. Bandfield, D. L. Blaney, C. Budney, W. M. Calvin, et al. (2004)
Science 305, 837-842
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Basaltic Rocks Analyzed by the Spirit Rover in Gusev Crater.
H. Y. McSween, R. E. Arvidson, J. F. Bell III, D. Blaney, N. A. Cabrol, P. R. Christensen, B. C. Clark, J. A. Crisp, L. S. Crumpler, D. J. Des Marais, et al. (2004)
Science 305, 842-845
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