Interesting dark deposits |
Interesting dark deposits |
May 16 2008, 01:34 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 401 Joined: 5-January 07 From: Manchester England Member No.: 1563 |
Theres an interesting picture here of a crater with a strange dark patch at one end, would anyone care to hazard an explanation? I thought it could be an exposed section of basalt, but I dont see why it wouldn't be covered with dust like the rest of the terrain.
-------------------- |
|
|
May 16 2008, 03:23 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
Theres an interesting picture here of a crater with a strange dark patch at one end, would anyone care to hazard an explanation? I thought it could be an exposed section of basalt, but I dont see why it wouldn't be covered with dust like the rest of the terrain. Very cool. I'd speculate that the crater is actively sinking (especially the deeper section off center to the E (lower section in the image)). Could the dark deposits be mineral salts left behind by sublimating ice? -Mike -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
|
|
|
May 17 2008, 01:23 AM
Post
#3
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 384 Joined: 4-January 07 Member No.: 1555 |
|
|
|
Jun 8 2008, 02:30 PM
Post
#4
|
|
Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 50 Joined: 8-February 04 From: Melbourne, Australia Member No.: 5 |
Mike - Another possiblility might be dark basaltic wind-blown sand. Spectral data (e.g., from CRISM) should be able to answer the question. -- HDP Don That blue-black stuff has always turned out to be dust when investigatigated. Usually basaltic, often olivine-rich, but just dry windblown (or windlagged) dust... If you look in detail at the albedo vs elevation, you'll see "sheltering" effects in the lee of bumps on the crater floor. The "south" (down) of any lump has more dust than the "north" (up). -------------------- - Nick
===================================== Nick Hoffman Mars Specialist 3D-GEO Pty Ltd Melbourne Australia http://whitemars.com "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) ===================================== |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 23rd April 2024 - 06:49 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. |