Opportunity field report, May 5, 2016

Sol 4365, May 5, 2016; Rover Field Report by Larry Crumpler, MER Science Team & New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science: Opportunity  arrived at its current location on sol 4345 to begin investigation of an outcrop on the crest of a ridge near the west end of Marathon Valley. This outcrop and the ridge to the east of it appear in MRO/CRISM (orbital remote sensing) data to have significant concentrations of clay minerals. The outcrops here are pretty strange actually, with all sorts of fractures, apparent alteration along fractures, and odd color-marbled outcrops. So far Opportunity has looked at the outcrop with and without brushing. A Rock Abrasion Tool activity on the outcrop was done and initial chemically results say that it is the same as un-RATed, which is weird. There is always a difference. [More at link]