What Is the Gale Crater Mineralogy and Geochemistry Database?

Updated

The Gale Crater Mineralogy and Geochemistry database (GCMG) is a citable, sample-level dataset of mineralogy and geochemistry results from Gale Crater, built around samples collected and analyzed by the Curiosity rover. It is hosted on the Open Data Repository and is intended for anyone who wants to look up or reuse published sample compositions rather than dig them out of individual mission papers. The site is organized for searching by sample type, by rover traverse, or by CheMin instrument results.

What the database contains

The site describes itself as a sample database covering drill and scoop samples, with mineral composition tables and geochemistry tied to specific named samples. The landing page summarizes the scope of the underlying mission record:

Item Value shown on the site
Sols since landing 4,823
Distance driven from landing site 22.58 miles
Samples collected and analyzed 40+

The database is actively maintained. The news section lists additions and revisions, including data added for the Altadena and Valle de la Luna samples, updated mineral composition tables for the Marimba2, Quela, and Sebina samples, and earlier additions of Mammoth Lakes 2 and Kings Canyon. That revision history matters if you are reproducing an analysis: sample tables can change after publication.

How the site is organized

The search entry points on the home page are:

  • Drill or Scoop — find data by the type of sample collected.
  • Rover traverse — browse samples in the order and location they were collected along the rover's path.
  • CheMin Wheel — access results associated with the CheMin (Chemistry and Mineralogy) instrument.

Each is presented as a "Click Here" link from the home page. The site does not describe login requirements or fees, so treat access terms as something to confirm on the site itself rather than assume.

How to cite it

The database provides its own citation, which you should use rather than citing the website generically:

Lafuente, B., Blake, D., Bristow, T., Rampe, E., Downs, R., Sarrazin, P., Downs, G., Stone, N., Pires, A., Vaniman, D., Yen, A., Franz, H., Lyness, E., & Fraeman, A. (2021). Gale Crater Mineralogy and Geochemistry database (GCMG). [Data set]. Open Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.48484/JN48-YW52

The DOI is the stable identifier. If you use a specific sample table, note the sample name and check the news log for whether that table has since been updated.

When this database is the right source

Use GCMG when you need:

  • Mineralogy or geochemistry for a named Curiosity drill or scoop sample in Gale Crater.
  • A citable dataset with a DOI for a paper, poster, or classroom exercise.
  • A way to browse samples by traverse position rather than by publication.

Look elsewhere when you need raw instrument spectra, data from other landing sites, or mission engineering data — the site's scope is sample mineralogy and geochemistry for Gale Crater.

A practical example

Suppose you are writing a comparison of clay-bearing samples and want the mineral abundances for Quela. Rather than tracking down the original mission paper, you would open the Drill or Scoop search, locate Quela, and pull its current mineral composition table. Because the news log records that Quela's table was revised, you would cite the database DOI and note the access date so your numbers can be traced to the version you used.