The Spirit Rover's Athena Science Investigation at Gusev Crater, Mars

TLDR

Gusev is hypothesized to have been a former lake, yet no clear evidence of lacustrine sedimentation has been found to date. The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, equipped with the Athena science payload, investigated the Gusev crater landing site. The study found basaltic lithology dominated by impact and aeolian processes, with rocks showing coatings suggestive of minor aqueous alteration, while any lacustrine sediments appear buried beneath lava flows disrupted by impacts.

Abstract

The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit and its Athena science payload have been used to investigate a landing site in Gusev crater. Gusev is hypothesized to be the site of a former lake, but no clear evidence for lacustrine sedimentation has been found to date. Instead, the dominant lithology is basalt, and the dominant geologic processes are impact events and eolian transport. Many rocks exhibit coatings and other characteristics that may be evidence for minor aqueous alteration. Any lacustrine sediments that may exist at this location within Gusev apparently have been buried by lavas that have undergone subsequent impact disruption.