The hydrology and climate of Mars during the sedimentary infilling of Gale crater

Gale crater's central sedimentary mound (Aeolis Mons or, informally, Mount Sharp) preserves one of the best records early Martian climatic, hydrologic, and history. Sharp's sediment sequence is broadly consistent with a transition from wetter surface conditions lakes fluvial activity, to groundwater influenced cementation under dryer conditions, period anhydrous accumulation erosion dominated by aeolian processes. However, alone do not provide direct constraint on climate evolution. We use models hydrological evolution crater, evaluated against constraints local depositional environment both satellite observations ground-based Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover shed light at crater. The results show that state crater infill. overall trend in stratigraphic sequence, recording wet dry environments within could have formed dominantly arid changes properties exposed along edge Sharp resulting lateral vertical due decrease accommodation space changing basin geometry as filled sediment. Alternatively, be explained climate, lake formation during waning epoch followed secular drying account for observed phyllosilicate sulfate transition. In either scenario, short-term are required explain facies mineralogy. A later shift much mound, renewed semiarid later-stage lakes. Hydrological modeling constrains been between semiarid, largely geomorphological geochemical Noachian–Hesperian boundary.