[X] My Assistant

[deglr6328]

Might want to put some really hot coffee in that thermos with your lunch, though -- remember, it's pretty chilly out there.

-the other Doug

That would make for an interesting, but very explosive, lunch when you opened it to take a sip!!

[dvandorn]

Might want to put some really hot coffee in that thermos with your lunch, though -- remember, it's pretty chilly out there.

-the other Doug

That would make for an interesting, but very explosive, lunch when you opened it to take a sip!!

I thought that was what the three-bean casserole was for...

I better watch those comments, since some people take methane on Mars seriously...

-the other Doug

[glennwsmith]

Gentlemen,

It seems that interest in the stratigraphy of the Larry's Lookout/Methusaleh area is heating up.

I refer to an article just posted at www.universetoday.com (excerpt included):

HAS SPIRIT FOUND BEDROCK IN COLUMBIA HILLS?

http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/sp...ia.html?2642005

"Crumpler says they are seeing evidence of finely bedded materials in the rocks, with very fine laminations that signify bedded, sediment-like materials. 'This all indicates that we’re not just looking at volcanic rocks or old broken up rocks, but there is some sort of organized layering,' he said. 'We’re going to do a full scale campaign to try to understand all of these things.' Although the MER science team still has a plethora of unanswered questions about this area of the Columbia Hills, from the evidence so far, water is likely to be at least part of the final equation."

As the starter of this topic I may be prejudiced, but there also seems to be the unspoken implication in the article that the Larry's Lookout/Methusaleh stratigraphy is remeniscent of Meridiani . . .

Glenn

[tedstryk]

Gentlemen,

It seems that interest in the stratigraphy of the Larry's Lookout/Methusaleh area is heating up.

I refer to an article just posted at www.universetoday.com (excerpt included):

HAS SPIRIT FOUND BEDROCK IN COLUMBIA HILLS?

http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/sp...ia.html?2642005

"Crumpler says they are seeing evidence of finely bedded materials in the rocks, with very fine laminations that signify bedded, sediment-like materials. 'This all indicates that we’re not just looking at volcanic rocks or old broken up rocks, but there is some sort of organized layering,' he said. 'We’re going to do a full scale campaign to try to understand all of these things.' Although the MER science team still has a plethora of unanswered questions about this area of the Columbia Hills, from the evidence so far, water is likely to be at least part of the final equation."

As the starter of this topic I may be prejudiced, but there also seems to be the unspoken implication in the article that the Larry's Lookout/Methusaleh stratigraphy is remeniscent of Meridiani .  .  .

Glenn

I hope the RAT has enough left in it for at least one good hole.

[gpurcell]

Crumpler noted that there is a considerable age difference between the Columbia Hills and the lava plain that Spirit crossed to reach the Hills. He likened the Hills to a sandstone butte surrounded by fresh, young lava flows, similar to the landscape that is found in the United States’ Southwest. “The Hills are much, much older,” Crumpler said. “You can actually see the contact between the two where the lava flows sort of lapped up on the edges of the Hills. When you cross that boundary you go from the basalts which show only small amounts of weathering and alteration to the rocks on the Columbia Hills that are totally ‘grunged-up’ and altered, and basically water-soaked at some time in their history.”

Sounds like sediments from Lake Gusev!