• DOI:10.1126/SCIENCE.1100564
• Corpus ID: 34983664

Initial Results from the Mini-TES Experiment in Gusev Crater from the Spirit Rover

@article{Christensen2004InitialRF,
  title={Initial Results from the Mini-TES Experiment in Gusev Crater from the Spirit Rover},
  author={Philip R. Christensen and Steven W. Ruff and Robin L. Fergason and Amy T. Knudson and Saadat Anwar and Raymond E. Arvidson and Joshua L. Bandfield and Diana L. Blaney and Charles J. Budney and Wendy M. Calvin and Timothy D. Glotch and Matthew P. Golombek and Noel Gorelick and Trevor G. Graff and Victoria E. Hamilton and Alexander Gerard Hayes and J. R. Johnson and Harry Y. McSween and Greg L. Mehall and L K Mehall and Jeffrey Moersch and Richard V. Morris and Alex Rogers and M. D. Smith and Steven W. Squyres and Michael J. Wolff and Michael Bruce Wyatt},
  journal={Science},
  year={2004},
  volume={305},
  pages={837 - 842}
}

• P. Christensen, S. Ruff, +24 authors M. Wyatt
• Published 6 August 2004
• Geology, Medicine
• Science

The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) on Spirit has studied the mineralogy and thermophysical properties at Gusev crater. Undisturbed soil spectra show evidence for minor carbonates and bound water. Rocks are olivinerich basalts with varying degrees of dust and other coatings. Dark-toned soils observed on disturbed surfaces may be derived from rocks and have derived mineralogy (±5 to 10%) of 45% pyroxene (20% Ca-rich pyroxene and 25% pigeonite), 40% sodic to intermediate plagioclase, and 15% olivine (forsterite 45% ±5 to 10). Two spectrally distinct coatings are observed on rocks, a possible indicator of the interaction of water, rock, and airfall dust. Diurnal temperature data indicate particle sizes from 40 to 80 μm in hollows to ∼0.5 to 3 mm in soils.