With our first core sample of the margin system in hand, were already outlining a course to our next stop in the Margin Campaign. As we continue to absorb the information gathered by our distance science instruments from the very first margin unit abrasion, we have actually performed a short drive we call a bump to a close-by region of interest. Specifically, its where the boulder-rich system, upper fan sedimentary rock, and margin system intersect.
By NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory
October 6, 2023
Determinations Future Destination: This is an orbital view of the rovers location in relation to “Jurabi Point” which is the next drop in the Margin Campaign. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Perseverance rover is constantly on the relocation! With our very first core sample of the margin unit in hand, were currently plotting a course to our next stop in the Margin Campaign. Among our future locations is a location named “Jurabi Point” which the teams scientists have been eagerly waiting to check out even before landing on the Red Planet.
As we continue to absorb the information collected by our proximity science instruments from the first margin unit abrasion, we have carried out a brief drive we call a bump to a neighboring region of interest. We hope a quick investigation of this site utilizing our remote science instruments like SuperCam will shed light on the sedimentary structures and weathering history of the margin unit.
Specifically, its where the boulder-rich unit, upper fan sedimentary rock, and margin system intersect. Checking out the contacts in between these three units will assist us clarify their age relationships, whilst also providing us another chance to study and potentially sample a boulder after our previous effort was not successful.
When weve finished our research study at the “Jurabi Point” triple-junction, we then intend on heading west, recording changes in the margin unit as we drive uphill. Well conclude the Margin Campaign by driving down into Neretva Vallis for the very first time– the river channel that feeds the western fan– in order to examine an enigmatic light-toned rock system exposed within the channel wall.
Written by Athanasios Klidaras, Ph.D. Student at Purdue University
