Dataset for Effects of Progressive Oxidation on the Jezero Crater Floor: Insights from Terrestrial Analogs and Multispectral Observations Acquired by the Mars2020 Perseverance Rover
The floor of Jezero Crater is composed of two major igneous formations, Séítah and Máaz. The members of these formations are variable in composition, weathering extent, and redox conditions, which together have the potential to shed light on the geologic and aqueous history of the region. While Mastcam-Z has collected a wealth of visible/near-infrared multispectral data in Jezero’s crater floor, untangling whether observed spectral features are the result of composition or weathering is often ambiguous. To break this ambiguity, we characterize the spectral effects of oxidation in Séítah and Máaz by comparison with terrestrial analog multispectral data acquired both in the field and the laboratory. We find that the rates of correlated spectral features related to oxidation are statistically similar between Séítah, Máaz and Content, a member observed in the Séítah formation with compositional similarities to Máaz. Further, we establish a framework for assessing relative oxidation across other multispectral datasets of igneous compositions on Mars. Finally, using both a notional and adapted stratigraphy of Séítah, we show variation between oxidation and hydration signatures within the Crater floor’s stratigraphic sequence. We find no evidence of pre-burial oxidation in members of Jezero’s Crater floor, indicating that oxidation trends are dominated by post-burial, and possibly post-exhumation oxidation.