Geomorphology of Gale Crater, Rock on! |
Geomorphology of Gale Crater, Rock on! |
Sep 26 2012, 10:22 PM
Post
#31
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
I'd like a discussion thread about the geology detatched from the time limits of current MSL threads. We had a 'Geomorphology of Cape York' thread that attracted a lot of interesting posts. How about 'Geomorphology of Gale Crater'? I have one or two ideas but many more questions, and I'd like to post them in a longer-running thread away from the day to day imaging discussion. Any other takers?
For starters, does anybody have a contour map of this place like the one at Meridiani with 5m intervals? ADMIN: You have your wishes fulfilled on UMSF (sometimes) |
|
|
Nov 28 2012, 04:35 PM
Post
#32
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
You can see it an awful lot better in the Navcam anaglyph on page 2 of this thread. It's difficult to do geomorphology from Hazcam anaglyphs because the field of view is so limited. That hummock is just part of the edge of a much wider resistant layer that forms a major terrace all around the depression. Well... the one end of the depression that is obvious in the most recent pans that have been assembled, here, looks rather circular. Anything that describes a partial or complete circle on Mars, with its higher impact rate than we are accustomed to on Earth, could be the remnants of an impact crater. The flow lines etched into the rock working into the depression could just be the result of eons of aeolian modification. However -- and this is a big however -- the overall morphology of the region is indicative of alluvial activity, i.e., modification from flowing water. So, even though the edge of this depression is circular and may still represent the remnants of an impact crater, with the clues to alluvial action we can see in the aerial images, it looks to me that the initial modification of the terrain is more likely from water flowing and then ponding in the topographic low point of the depression. Multiple episodes of flash flooding, or continuous drainage from the central mound, could have resulted in the patterns we see. In any event, the original forces that carved the topography here at Glenelg has since been modified by many, many eons of aeolian erosion since the last of the flowing water was seen here. -the other Doug
Reason for edit: Link to the main thread
-------------------- “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” -Mark Twain
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 26th September 2024 - 07:11 AM |
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. |