Home Plate Is..., LPSC update - Science magazine Options

[Guest_paulanderson_*]

...a mini-volcano!

http://tinyurl.com/z4qx4

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/311/5769/1858b

"Mars rover scientists have concluded that the cryptic "Home Plate" that the Spirit rover spent 3 months reaching is the remains of a little ash-spewing volcano"

Magazine subscription or article purchase necessary to read full article, but there should be other updates soon?

[Bill Harris]

"Ring of Fire" is doubly misleading in that it implies organized volcanism resulting from tectonic activity. We've seen nothing like that (discounting the Tharsis region) here.

My take, groomed and shaved with Occam's razor, is that is an erosional remnant of windblown ashfall. It likely extends over the Inner Basin and surrounding hills. The coarser "Spongebob Beds" may be related ro coincidental. But wait, there may be more-- however, we need to look further at this locale as we've barely scratched the surface.

I suspect that the sulfate zones we see are weathering-related and may or may not be related to the layered deposits. See "PSRD Antarctic Guide to Martian Weathering" at http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/April05/DryValleysSoils.html for an overview of what _may_ be happening.

At least our intrepid explorer has become hobbled at a good location.


---Bill