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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Mars Global Surveyor _ Severely-dipping Layers

Posted by: Sunspot Aug 11 2005, 11:33 PM

Severely-Dipping Layers

http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2005/08/11/index.html

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows severely tilted--dipping--layered rocks in Oudemans Crater in the Valles Marineris region of Mars. The rocks have a light tone and are somewhat broken-up by faults. These rocks were deposited in flat-lying layers. Sometime later, Oudemans Crater formed by meteor impact. When that occurred, rocks that were underneath the site of the impact were uplifted and tilted by the force of the impact. The light tone and repeated nature of some of the layers suggests that these may be sedimentary rocks.

Posted by: ElkGroveDan Aug 12 2005, 02:03 AM

Thanks for that. I sometimes forget how much fun the MGS site can be.

I bet you could do a lot of geology with a rover down there.

Posted by: Myran Aug 12 2005, 02:42 AM

Been a while since I visited that site (exploring signs of flows back then) so thanks for the pointer Sunspot so I agree with ElkGroveDan, hope either space agency will give that location a consideration at least.

Posted by: Chmee Aug 12 2005, 12:50 PM

Wow, that really looks like sedimentary rock to me. Almost like the walls of the Grand Canyon...

Posted by: babakm Aug 12 2005, 01:48 PM

I was looking into the location and thinking the same thing a couple of days ago. I'm pretty sure that it's on the A-list as far as desired landing sites go as they have targetted it quite a few times in the last couple of years.

http://ida.wr.usgs.gov/html/r05000/r0500016.html
http://themis-data.asu.edu/img/I01813005.html
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r03_r09/images/R03/R0301292.html
And many more...

Don't know if they'd have the same wind issues they were concerned about with the other Valles Marineris landing sites.