[X] My Assistant

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

The fine scale layering in some of the rocks in Burns Cliff really is exrtaordinary

[Gray]

David,
You are asking the same questions many geologists are asking. My bet is that they feel a similar frustration. Many of the questions you ask can only be answered by taking samples back to the lab for analysis. Don't think that people aren't trying to answer them, it's just very difficult when most of the data is in the form of digital images. Geologists are more accostomed to picking up the rocks and holding them in their hands.
Another source of difficulty in interpreting these rocks is that we must ignore many of the assumptions we make about terrestrial geology. A basic tenet of terrestrial geology is that geologists understand the ancient earth processes by learning about current earth processes. But it turns out, we can't apply earth models to Mars. In some ways geologists must start from the beginning.
As you said, the answers will emerge, but it will be slow, just because that's the way science works. But don't think that all this neat stuff is being ignored. In the mean time, I guess we'll just have to be content with the wonder these images evoke.