Sol 1277: Nodules!

9 March 2016

Our drive yesterday was a success, putting us right on the contact between the “Murray” and “Stimson” units, and in reach of some very interesting nodules. The plan today is mostly focused on studying those nodules. ChemCam has an observation of a nodule and neighboring bedrock at the target “Vogelfederberg” followed by a “depth profile” on one of the nodules named “Verbrandeberg”. For the depth profile, we will only analyze two locations on the target, but we will shoot each location with the laser 150 times instead of the normal 30 shots. These extra shots allow us to measure changes in the chemistry in the outer surface of the target. After the depth profile, ChemCam will analyze two other nodule and bedrock locations named “Maieberg” and “Mikberg”. Mastcam will take documentation images of all of these targets.

Later in the day, we will use MAHLI to take some images of a nodule named “Sperrgebiet”’, plus a broader mosaic of the nodular texture. APXS will then measure the composition of Sperrgebiet and the neighboring bedrock. Tomorrow the plan is to back out of our current location and then drive up onto Naukluft plateau!

by Ryan Anderson

-Ryan is a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the ChemCam team on MSL.

Dates of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the martian environment, communication relays and rover status.