The Glen Torridon region within Gale crater, Mars forms an important area along the Curiosity rover traverse because of the abundance of clays, which likely formed through bedrock-water interactions. The region forms a valley adjacent to a prominent ridge that carries a strong hematite spectral signature. Until Curiosity examined the rocks comprising the ridge and valley, little was known about other compositional and geomorphic, stratigraphic, and geologic relationships. Distinct lithologic subunits within part of the stratigraphy made it possible to recognize that the strata pass through the geomorphic and spectral divide between hematite-rich ridge and clay-bearing valley. A lithologic change from mudstone lower in the section to cross-bedded sandstone higher in the section heralds a significant shift in paleoenvironment from lacustrine to fluvial, which was then followed by a return to lacustrine mudstone deposition. Contacts for stratigraphic units permit construction of a geologic map and cross sections perpendicular to strike. Stratal dips cannot exceed 2° NW to retain the positions of stratigraphic units in the locations they are exposed throughout GT, which provides constraints on the formation mechanisms of Mount Sharp.
 

Bio:

Chris Fedo received his B.S. in Geology from Cal State Fullerton, M.S. in geology from Vanderbilt, and his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. He did post a post doc at University of Western Ontario. He was Assistant and Associate Professor at George Washington University from 1996-2005, and Assistant through Full Professor at University of Tennessee, where him now hold the McSween Chair of Earth & planetary Sciences.