A Mastcam Multispectral Investigation of Rock Variability in Gale Crater, Mars: Implications for Alteration in the Clay‐Sulfate Transition of Mount Sharp

Since leaving Vera Rubin ridge (VRr), the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has traversed though the phyllosilicate‐bearing region, Glen Torridon, and the overlying Mg‐sulfate‐bearing strata, with excursions onto the Greenheugh Pediment and Amapari Marker Band. Each of these distinct geologic units were investigated using Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) multispectral instrument which is sensitive to iron‐bearing phases and some hydrated minerals. We used Mastcam spectra, in combination with chemical data from Chemistry and Mineralogy, Alpha Particle X‐ray Spectrometer, and Chemistry and Camera instruments, to assess the variability of rock spectra and interpret the mineralogy and diagenesis in the clay‐sulfate transition and surrounding regions. We identify four new classes of rock spectra since leaving VRr; two are inherent to dusty and pyroxene‐rich surfaces on the Amapari Marker Band; one is associated with the relatively young, basaltic, Greenheugh Pediment; and the last indicates areas subjected to intense aqueous alteration with an amorphous Fe‐sulfate component, primarily in the clay‐sulfate transition region. To constrain the Mg‐sulfate detection capabilities of Mastcam and aid in the analyses of multispectral data, we also measured the spectral response of mixtures with phyllosilicates, hydrated Mg‐sulfate, and basalt in the laboratory. We find that hydrated Mg‐sulfates are easily masked by other materials, requiring ≥90 wt.% of hydrated Mg‐sulfate to exhibit a hydration signature in Mastcam spectra, which places constraints on the abundance of hydrated Mg‐sulfates along the traverse. Together, these results imply significant compositional changes along the traverse since leaving VRr, and they support the hypothesis of wet‐dry cycles in the clay‐sulfate transition. Plain Language Summary The clay‐sulfate transition in Gale crater has long been hypothesized to record an environmental shift from “warm and wet” to “cold and dry.” The paleolake that once filled Gale crater allowed phyllosilicates to form. As Mars became cooler and drier, sulfates were able to precipitate above the phyllosilicates. This mineralogic transition has been observed in other places on Mars, implying a global environmental change. Different hydrated Mg‐sulfates can reveal characteristics of the paleoenvironment at the time of deposition and thus clarify the geologic history. The goals of this study are to (a) characterize potential sulfate‐bearing rocks with the Curio