Clay-rich deposits at Oxia Planum: from orbital spectroscopic evidence to their geology

Oxia Planum, the landing site of the Rosalind Franklin Mission (RFM), is located between the ancient highlands of Arabia Terra and the younger plains of Chryse Planitia [1]. The region preserves clear evidence of past water-rock interactions, particularly layered clay-rich deposits that are considered prime targets for astrobiological investigation [2, 3]. This study focuses on a selection of Regions of Interest (ROIs), areas with the highest concentrations of ferromagnesian clays as identified through remote sensing analyses. We derive local digital terrain models from stereo photogrammetry and quantify horizontal and vertical accuracy [4], a key requirement for interpreting water-related processes and stratigraphic relationships in the low-relief Oxia Planum. Our objective is to examine how clay distribution relates to other geologic elements, in particular fractures [5, 6],  to better constrain their geologic interpretation and stratigraphic context [7], contributing to strategies for guiding the selection of drilling sites once the rover arrives on Mars.

 

This work is funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) [Grant ASI-INAF n. 2023–3–HH.0].

 References: [1] Quantin-Nataf et al. (2021) Astrobiology 21, 345–366. [2] Mandon et al. (2021) Astrobiology 21, 464–480. [3] Brossier et al. (2022) Icarus 386, 115114. [4] Trisic Ponce et al. (2026), this conference. [5] Apuzzo et al. (2025) PSS 267, 106169. [6] Rasmussen et al. (2026), this conference. [7] Fawdon et al. (2024) Journal of Maps 20, 2302361.