Geomorphology of Cape York and Solander Point, Examining Opportunity's destination at Endeavour Crater Options

[Stu]

Everyone, say hello to Cape York... in colour...



Larger version on my blog: http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2010/...-york-in-colour

[Phil Stooke]

The CRISM composition data certainly don't seem to point to a blueberry layer on Cape York... but it's certainly legitimate to ask why not, if the whole area was covered with the plains material and it has eroded away. One possible explanation - blueberries were more common in some areas than in others, and this may be an area where they were not found to begin with. Test - look for blueberries in the plains immediately adjacent to the Cape.

Phil

[bgarlick]

The CRISM composition data certainly don't seem to point to a blueberry layer on Cape York...

If that is indeed the case, ie no berries/sulfates on CY while berries are [presumably] on the plains right around CY, then we have a head scratcher here and this might point more towards a groundwater source of the sulfate/hematite instead of an evaporated body of water (which would have had to have covered CY since CY is lower than the surrounding plains) as I proposed in my original post.

Note: I am not a Geologist, but my dad is... :-)

-Ben-

[marsophile]

(which would have had to have covered CY since CY is lower than the surrounding plains)

That might not follow. Flood waters pouring over a cliff will take the path of least resistance, and will avoid locally higher obstacles. It is only if the entire area was submerged that CY would necessarily have been covered.