Santa Maria! |
Santa Maria! |
Dec 15 2010, 11:17 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 362 Joined: 13-April 06 From: Malta Member No.: 741 |
think it deserves a topic on its own
|
|
|
Dec 18 2010, 01:38 AM
Post
#2
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 146 Joined: 31-October 08 Member No.: 4473 |
It seems to look like the Santa Maria crater might have only exposed buried rubble (not layered sediment). If this turns out to be true, that the impactor slammed into a rubble deposit, not the layered sediments that we (well, Opportunity) have been traveling on, then we have some interesting things to think about.
Are we in the fill of an older crater represented by the broad depression we are on the West side of? Have we crossed into the planed-flat zone of the rim ejecta from Endeavour? If deposition of the sediments continued after the Endeavour impact (likely), then some sediments would accumulate on the outer rim. If the whole thing then erodes flat, we would have an area of ancient rubble, planed flat, with perhaps a bit of additional sediment over it. Better views, especially of the near (west) side interior crater wall, will help resolve this. A sharp lookout for different rocks is a good idea. |
|
|
Dec 18 2010, 03:14 AM
Post
#3
|
|
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 5172 Joined: 4-August 05 From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth Member No.: 454 |
It seems to look like the Santa Maria crater might have only exposed buried rubble... IIRC, this broken up rubble (or "breccia") is part of the crater formation process. Wasn't there a breccia layer atop the intact rocks at Victoria? -------------------- My website - My Patreon - @elakdawalla on Twitter - Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here.
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 8th June 2024 - 06:28 PM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |