title: Evidence from Opportunity's Microscopic Imager for water on Meridiani Planum.
abstract: The Microscopic Imager on the Opportunity rover analyzed textures of soils and rocks at Meridiani Planum at a scale of 31 micrometers per pixel. The uppermost millimeter of some soils is weakly cemented, whereas other soils show little evidence of cohesion. Rock outcrops are laminated on a millimeter scale; image mosaics of cross-stratification suggest that some sediments were deposited by flowing water. Vugs in some outcrop faces are probably molds formed by dissolution of relatively soluble minerals during diagenesis. Microscopic images support the hypothesis that hematite-rich spherules observed in outcrops and soils also formed diagenetically as concretions.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Team, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA. kherkenhoff@usgs.gov
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Herkenhoff
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Squyres
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arvidson
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bass
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bertelsen
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Ehlmann
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Farrand
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaddis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greeley
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grotzinger
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Hviid
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jolliff
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kinch
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Knoll
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McLennan
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: McSween
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Soderblom
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Spanovich
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wdowiak
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weitz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whelley
mesh_terms: D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D018535:Mars; D008903:Minerals; D017640:Silicates; D018531:Spacecraft; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D008903:Minerals; D017640:Silicates; C060346:basalt; D014867:Water; C000499:ferric oxide