The Murray Formation is the name given to a distinctive mudstone geologic formation studied by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity at the Gale Crater, Mars.[1]
The formation is more than 300 metres (980 ft) thick[2] and is part of the Mount Sharp Group which interfingers with units of the Bradbury Group.[3] The formation is composed mostly of basaltic minerals plus clays, though an intermediate horizon contains tridymite, cristobalite, quartz and opal.[4]
The Murray formation has five named subunits, the Pahrump Hills Member, Hartmann's Valley Member, Karasburg Member, Sutton Island Member, and Vera Rubin Ridge Member.[2] It unconformably underlies the Stimson formation.[5]
The Murray formation is the target of multiple compelling hints of ancient Martian microbial life. The region contains veins of boron[6][7] and "halos" of silica likely formed by groundwater flows late in the crater's geologic history[8] and high levels of manganese oxide suggesting Earth-like oxygen levels early in Mars' history.[9]
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