Comanche |
Comanche |
Dec 16 2005, 05:35 PM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1887 Joined: 20-November 04 From: Iowa Member No.: 110 |
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Dec 25 2005, 08:13 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3009 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
I doubt that the "crystal" is a salt. When I said "salt deposit" I meant more of an efflorescence, which I frequently see where mineralized phreatic water evaporating through a porous sandstone. I doubt that is happening here, but this was my first impression.
I've seen these strong mineral grain reflections many times, and this is puzzling to me since my mental image of Martian rocks is dusty and abraded and there _shouldn't _ be fresh surfaces. Nonetheless, they show up occasionally and I need to remove my blinders... Once we know what the rock is we'll be able to make shrewd guesses as to what the crystal likely is. --Bill -------------------- |
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Dec 25 2005, 11:08 AM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 362 Joined: 12-June 05 From: Kiama, Australia Member No.: 409 |
QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Dec 25 2005, 07:13 PM) I doubt that the "crystal" is a salt. . I've seen these strong mineral grain reflections many times, and this is puzzling to me since my mental image of Martian rocks is dusty and abraded and there _shouldn't _ be fresh surfaces. Could be sapphires or rubies?, on Earth they are usually associated with basalts of some type. Unlikely but possible. More likely if not salts, to be rutile or ilmenite as some of the rocks are high in titanium and these are hard, weathering resistant minerals already identified in previous analysis I think?? |
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