[X] My Assistant

[aldo12xu]

I just posted a table on my website summarizing spectroscopic results, general observations and geological interpretations of the main rock types Spirit has encountered so far at Gusev Crater.

As we knew before, the plains volcanics are olivine basalts, but rocks making up Columbia Hills are still uncertain. Ealier this year, most researchers were implying that the Hills may be pyroclastic flows or airfall tuffs. The most recent summary I read on the Planetary Society's weblog by Emily Lakdawalla seems to show a shift in thinking that most of the Columbia Hills rocks and outcrops may be of meteorite impact in origin. In my opinion it might be possible that the country rock could've been pyroclastic flows that have been subsequently remixed by meteorite impact.

It's probably still too early to draw any definite conclusions (considering how altered the Columbia Hills rocks are), so don't take the geological interpretations presented by the referenced sources as the final answer.

At the very least, I hope my table puts in perspective the analytical results we've recieved from Spirit so far.

[aldo12xu]

Glad you found the summary helpful, Tom. I also had trouble keeping all the target names and results sorted out. And then I saw Emily Lakdawalla' entry on the Planetary Society blog and that inspired me. Eventually, I'd like to do the same for Meridiani but that won't be for some time.

Have you noticed the strikes and dips that have been appearing sporadically on the traverse maps?

Sol 647 map: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html
Az. 060 dip 10-15 SE near Hillary

Sol 551 map: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-...rit-sol551.html
Az. 195 dip 17-33 W at Independence
Az. 185 dip 10 W at Voltaire

From Astrobilogy site: http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?o...rticle&sid=1583
Larry's Lookout
Az. 220 dip 20 NW