About Those Mars Polygons

The polygon shaped terrain around the Phoenix lander means what?

Icy, Patterned Ground on Mars
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix...hp?fileID=8939


It means that the deeper soil remains frozen all the time
while the near surface layer is being repetitively thawed
by the sun. The cracks are where ice wedges form.
Polygons means thawed water near or at
the surface at one time.

Frozen ground in the arctic
http://arctic.fws.gov/permpics.htm

The large amount of rubble makes it look like a much older
more eroded site than Meridiani though...unfortunately.
Meridiani still had a fresh layer of soil everywhere.
http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/081...5L7L7.jpg.html


Here it looks like most of it has long ago blown away.
It'll be interesting to see how deep they can dig.



s

I thought those were gopher tracks you
see in the mountain tundra right after
the snow melts.

Mars is alive!

"rick++" wrote in message
...
I thought those were gopher tracks you
see in the mountain tundra right after
the snow melts.

Mars is alive!


Who gives a **** what you think anyways?
Since when is a juvenile response on topic to
any ng in usenet... asshole?

Why don't you take a ****ing hike, and tell 'em
I sent ya.