Matijevic Hill first survey, Sol 3057 - 3152 |
Matijevic Hill first survey, Sol 3057 - 3152 |
Oct 9 2012, 06:15 AM
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#331
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
Whitewater appears to be a finely laminated rock. The dark patches we see on the top of Whitewater seem to be remnants of one of those laminae. I was hoping to get a closer look at the darker material, and that is apparently what we are seeing in the MIs from sol 3094. The attached image highlights the approximate location of the MIs on a false color pancam composite from sol 3092.
Interestingly, the dark, vitreous-appearing lamination seems to be thinner than the diameter of the embedded spherule. -------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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Oct 9 2012, 02:48 PM
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#332
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3008 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
You're correct, CR, Whitewater is laminated and not "massive or amorphous"-- I've corrected my earlier description. I was too focused in on one area of the whole outcrop. The laminations appear to be quite variable and the unit is riddled with fractures.
The "Blue Resistant Area" (call it Blue Goo?) on this outcrop appears to be a remnant of a thicker zone-- it has been weathered, and eroded by the wind and is the contact between two rock types (yeah, I've hopped back to the "this is a contact" camp again). So this is a unique spot-- it could tell us what the surface of Whitewater was like at the time that the overlying unit (Kirkwood??) was deposited. Note this puzzle-piece: brushing at the previous IDD location showed that this outcrop has a thin, soft, ochre-colored surface underlain by a light-bluish material. It might be dust, but with the persistent prevailing winds of this area that is less likely and dust has not been seen on the adjacent Blue Crunchy Kirkwood fragments. It could be a weathering rind that occurs on the exposed Whitewater outcrop. Looking closely at this remnant Blue Goo material will tell a lot. I needs to get off me duff and upload the many views of this outctop area to my photosite. Been putting it off-- give me a couple of days and I'll announce when there are enough up to warrant a visit. CR-- your location of the current IDD spot is dead-on. Good find. --Bill -------------------- |
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Oct 9 2012, 07:30 PM
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#333
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Member Group: Members Posts: 507 Joined: 10-September 08 Member No.: 4338 |
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Oct 10 2012, 03:35 PM
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#334
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3008 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
New MIs in the pipeline:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...ger/2012-10-10/ They've RAT-brushed another, adjacent spot at the second IDD site on the "resistant blue area" on Sol 3096. And are drooling on a new target: Lindsley, P2575 and P2576, which appears to be bedding-plane outcrop with multiple layers: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...29P2575R4M1.JPG Thumb-twiddling for the next ODY-pass... --Bill -------------------- |
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Oct 10 2012, 03:58 PM
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#335
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
Did Oppy drive over some portion of the later MI image coverage area? There are two arcs of what appear to be scratches in the less-durable covering layer on the right side of the image linked below; one large arc and another much narrower arc tangent to the larger one:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...29P2956M2M1.JPG These "scratch arcs" look decidedly artificial to me. -the other Doug -------------------- The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right. -Mark Twain
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Oct 10 2012, 04:29 PM
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#336
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4256 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
Artificial for sure - those are from the rat brush!
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Oct 10 2012, 04:45 PM
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#337
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3008 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
Those marks are from either from the RAT brush or the RAT contact ring. I wondered, too.
--Bill -------------------- |
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Oct 10 2012, 05:07 PM
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#338
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
OK -- well, the arcs are far bigger than the outside arc of the RAT's circular footprint. I guess the RAT was turned on and dragged across the surface, eh? First time I've ever seen that.
Another first for Opportunity! -the other Doug -------------------- The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right. -Mark Twain
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Oct 10 2012, 05:33 PM
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#339
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
The brush has a larger and more diffuse footprint than the RAT itself. Outlying bristles could easily cause that exact pattern
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Oct 11 2012, 01:22 AM
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#340
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Member Group: Admin Posts: 976 Joined: 29-September 06 From: Pasadena, CA - USA Member No.: 1200 |
OK -- well, the arcs are far bigger than the outside arc of the RAT's circular footprint. I guess the RAT was turned on and dragged across the surface, eh? First time I've ever seen that. Another first for Opportunity! -the other Doug Keeping in mind that I have no idea what the RPs did on that Sol (I haven't been on Oppy for almost three months now) the scratches tangent to the RAT brushes could be from the RAT butterfly contact switches. We definitely do not move the IDD while RATing or brushing. Paolo -------------------- Disclaimer: all opinions, ideas and information included here are my own,and should not be intended to represent opinion or policy of my employer.
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Oct 11 2012, 03:55 AM
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#341
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Member Group: Members Posts: 507 Joined: 10-September 08 Member No.: 4338 |
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Oct 11 2012, 11:57 AM
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#342
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1619 Joined: 12-February 06 From: Bergerac - FR Member No.: 678 |
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Oct 11 2012, 12:42 PM
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#343
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3008 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
X-eye stereo. Separate laminae, equally thin, in unbrushed area. Very good! And there are a couple of spheriodules of unknownst affinity in those stereos.Thin layer in brushed area also, and "canyon" between brushed and unbrushed areas. And thissol, she's moved upslope and north-ish to tasty outcrops. New names listed in theTracking Web as "Site168" and "Chelmsford". --Bill -------------------- |
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Oct 12 2012, 03:10 AM
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#344
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
Ant103: That's a beautiful and interesting panorama. Your work is always very good. Thanks for posting it.
I wish I could understand the nature of these mounds. -------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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Oct 13 2012, 04:58 PM
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#345
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Member Group: Members Posts: 933 Joined: 4-September 06 From: Boston Member No.: 1102 |
Hay everyone, there are fantastic pancams down today. image White gypsum layer?
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