@article{bfa0601c5f38435984bdc0936fe9cb5d,
title = "Desiccation cracks provide evidence of lake drying on Mars, Sutton Island member, Murray formation, Gale Crater",
abstract = "Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover data are used to describe the morphology of desiccation cracks observed in ancient lacustrine strata at Gale crater, Mars, and to interpret their paleoenvironmental setting. The desiccation cracks indicate subaerial exposure of lacustrine facies in the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation. In association with ripple cross-stratification and possible eolian cross-bedding, these facies indicate a transition from longer-lived perennial lakes recorded by older strata to younger lakes characterized by intermittent exposure. The transition from perennial to episodically exposed lacustrine environments provides evidence for local to regional climate change that can help constrain Mars climate models.",
author = "N. Stein and Grotzinger, {J. P.} and J. Schieber and N. Mangold and B. Hallet and H. Newsom and Stack, {K. M.} and Berger, {J. A.} and L. Thompson and Siebach, {K. L.} and A. Cousin and {Le Mou{\'e}lic}, S. and M. Minitti and Sumner, {D. Y.} and C. Fedo and House, {C. H.} and S. Gupta and Vasavada, {A. R.} and R. Gellert and Wiens, {R. C.} and J. Frydenvang and O. Forni and Meslin, {P. Y.} and V. Payr{\'e} and E. Dehouck",
note = "Funding Information: We are indebted to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project engineering and science teams, and MSL team members who participated in tactical and strategic operations, for their efforts that were vital in collecting the data presented. Thanks to S. Katten-horn, K. Benison, and K. Herkenhoff for reviews that improved this manuscript. Some of this research was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (USA), under a contract with NASA. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Grant No. DGE-1144469. These data are archived in the Planetary Data System (pds.nasa.gov). Funding Information: We are indebted to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project engineering and science teams, and MSL team members who participated in tactical and strategic operations, for their efforts that were vital in collecting the data presented. Thanks to S. Kattenhorn, K. Benison, and K. Herkenhoff for reviews that improved this manuscript. Some of this research was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (USA), under a contract with NASA. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Grant No. DGE-1144469. These data are archived in the Planetary Data System (pds.nasa.gov) Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Geological Society of America.",
year = "2018",
month = jun,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1130/G40005.1",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "46",
pages = "515--518",
journal = "Geology",
issn = "0091-7613",
publisher = "Geological Society of America",
number = "6",
}