Mars color images

The first of many, hopefully:

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rove...es-1-6-04.html

Many of the rocks in the image appear to have the rounded shape produced on
Earth by water erosion. This is speculation on my part, but it is the
primary reason why the site was selected, per the NASA site:

"Primary among the mission's scientific goals is to search for and
characterize a wide range of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water
activity on Mars. The spacecraft are targeted to sites on opposite sides of
Mars that appear to have been affected by liquid water in the past. The
landing sites are at Gusev Crater, a possible former lake in a giant impact
crater, and Meridiani Planum, where mineral deposits (hematite) suggest Mars
had a wet past."

Question: must the rounding be the result of flowing water? A lake bed would
not seem to be the place for this type of erosion, unless the rocks were in
place at some other time before or after the lake formed.

Comments?

Bob


"Paul Neave" wrote in message
...
The first of many, hopefully:


http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rove...es-1-6-04.html

Bob Schmall wrote:
Comments?

Erosion by blown sand can look a lot like water erosion (on Earth,
anyway -- I have no idea how much of what is applicable to geology is
applicable to areology).

Best,
Stephen

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Bob Schmall wrote:
Comments?

Erosion by blown sand can look a lot like water erosion (on Earth,
anyway -- I have no idea how much of what is applicable to geology is
applicable to areology).

Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

--
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+ Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books +
+ (N51.162 E0.995) | http://www.astunit.com +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Bob Schmall wrote:
Comments?

Erosion by blown sand can look a lot like water erosion (on Earth,
anyway -- I have no idea how much of what is applicable to geology is
applicable to areology).

Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

--
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books +
+ (N51.162 E0.995) | http://www.astunit.com +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

What I want to know is what are those scuff marks crossing image
PIA04995.jpg from left to right starting at the far side of the
large dust pool at upper right? In places it looks like parallel
scratches crossing rocks and sand, in other places like tire skid marks.

The only thing I can think of is that these marks were made
during the bouncing-beach-ball phase of the landing, or by
some part of the detached parachute mechanism dragging across
there.

On further examination I think it is an artifact from
pasting together two smaller images and having the
alignment off a bit.

"pd" wrote in message
...
On further examination I think it is an artifact from
pasting together two smaller images and having the
alignment off a bit.


Just a point. I've found the image can be made to look better still if you
run the sharpen filter on it. Most imaging apps have this facility. Give it
a go.

Martin

"Martin" wrote in message
...

"pd" wrote in message
...
On further examination I think it is an artifact from
pasting together two smaller images and having the
alignment off a bit.


Just a point. I've found the image can be made to look better still if you
run the sharpen filter on it. Most imaging apps have this facility. Give
it
a go.

Martin

As does bringing up the brightness, that reveals a bit more detail.

Martin

"Martin" wrote in message
...

"pd" wrote in message
...
On further examination I think it is an artifact from
pasting together two smaller images and having the
alignment off a bit.


Just a point. I've found the image can be made to look better still if you
run the sharpen filter on it. Most imaging apps have this facility. Give
it
a go.

Martin

As does bringing up the brightness, that reveals a bit more detail.

Martin