Andrew Yee
December 13th 05, 04:30 PM
Mars Informatics Inc.
12021 Wilshire Blvd. #601
Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
Contact Information:
David A. Paige, Editor
Phone: 310-922-6553
Fax: 310-826-8135
E-Mail: dap @ marsinformatics.org
December 13, 2005
The Mars Journal Publishes Its First Papers
The Mars Journal, a new peer-reviewed online open-access scholarly
journal, has published its first two papers. The first paper is a 4-page
editorial entitled "The Mars Journal" by David A. Paige of the Dept. of
Earth and Space Sciences, UCLA, and Chief Editor of The Mars Journal. The
second paper is a 54-page science paper entitled "The sedimentary rocks of
Sinus Meridiani: Five key observations from data acquired by the Mars
Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters" by Kenneth S. Edgett of Malin
Space Science Systems.
The Mars Journal, which is published formally as "Mars: The International
Journal of Mars Science and Exploration", is the first scholarly journal
devoted to the planet Mars. It is intended to accelerate the pace of Mars
science and exploration activities by publishing peer-reviewed, scholarly
papers on Mars science, technology and policy. The journal is open-access,
which allows anyone to read, download and print the full texts published
papers free of charge. Mars Journal papers are in the form of printable
PDF manuscripts with links to author-supplied supporting data that allow
researchers to download full resolution images, databases or computer
code. "The Mars Journal" editorial, the first paper published in the
journal, outlines the rationale for the creation of the journal and
describes how it will serve the growing Mars community.
"The sedimentary rocks of Sinus Meridiani: Five key observations from data
acquired by the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters" by Kenneth
S. Edgett is the first science paper published in the journal. It presents
an extensive analysis of imaging and topographic data obtained by the Mars
Global Surveyor and the Mars Odyssey orbiters in the Sinus Meridiani
region, the field site of NASA's ongoing Opportunity Rover mission.
The existence of exposed sedimentary rocks in this region of Mars had been
suspected for some time. The data obtained by Opportunity have now
confirmed this fact in spectacular fashion. Edgett's analysis of orbiter
observations shows that the 6 or 7 meters of exposed sedimentary rock
explored by Opportunity represent less than 1% of the approximately 800
meters of sedimentary rock that can be seen in orbiter images of this
region. In fact, the vast outcrops of sedimentary rocks exposed in Sinus
Meridiani cover an area larger than the Colorado Plateau of North America
and exhibit a greater diversity than seen by the Opportunity Rover.
Edgett's analysis also shows that the sediments in the Sinus Meridiani
region have experienced multiple episodes of burial and exhumation,
suggesting a complex geologic and climatic history for this region that
may extend over a longer period than thought previously.
Edgett's paper includes 52 figures, including seven images obtained by the
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) orbiter
that have not been previously released to the public.
Links:
* The Mars Journal Web Site
http://marsjournal.org
* "The Mars Journal" editorial by David Paige
http://marsjournal.org/contents/2005/0001/
* "The sedimentary rocks of Sinus Meridiani: Five key observations from
data acquired by the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters" by
Kenneth Edgett
http://marsjournal.org/contents/2005/0002
* Comments from Kenneth Edgett to News/Media regarding his paper
http://www.msss.com/biographies/edgett/meridiani_media.html
12021 Wilshire Blvd. #601
Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
Contact Information:
David A. Paige, Editor
Phone: 310-922-6553
Fax: 310-826-8135
E-Mail: dap @ marsinformatics.org
December 13, 2005
The Mars Journal Publishes Its First Papers
The Mars Journal, a new peer-reviewed online open-access scholarly
journal, has published its first two papers. The first paper is a 4-page
editorial entitled "The Mars Journal" by David A. Paige of the Dept. of
Earth and Space Sciences, UCLA, and Chief Editor of The Mars Journal. The
second paper is a 54-page science paper entitled "The sedimentary rocks of
Sinus Meridiani: Five key observations from data acquired by the Mars
Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters" by Kenneth S. Edgett of Malin
Space Science Systems.
The Mars Journal, which is published formally as "Mars: The International
Journal of Mars Science and Exploration", is the first scholarly journal
devoted to the planet Mars. It is intended to accelerate the pace of Mars
science and exploration activities by publishing peer-reviewed, scholarly
papers on Mars science, technology and policy. The journal is open-access,
which allows anyone to read, download and print the full texts published
papers free of charge. Mars Journal papers are in the form of printable
PDF manuscripts with links to author-supplied supporting data that allow
researchers to download full resolution images, databases or computer
code. "The Mars Journal" editorial, the first paper published in the
journal, outlines the rationale for the creation of the journal and
describes how it will serve the growing Mars community.
"The sedimentary rocks of Sinus Meridiani: Five key observations from data
acquired by the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters" by Kenneth
S. Edgett is the first science paper published in the journal. It presents
an extensive analysis of imaging and topographic data obtained by the Mars
Global Surveyor and the Mars Odyssey orbiters in the Sinus Meridiani
region, the field site of NASA's ongoing Opportunity Rover mission.
The existence of exposed sedimentary rocks in this region of Mars had been
suspected for some time. The data obtained by Opportunity have now
confirmed this fact in spectacular fashion. Edgett's analysis of orbiter
observations shows that the 6 or 7 meters of exposed sedimentary rock
explored by Opportunity represent less than 1% of the approximately 800
meters of sedimentary rock that can be seen in orbiter images of this
region. In fact, the vast outcrops of sedimentary rocks exposed in Sinus
Meridiani cover an area larger than the Colorado Plateau of North America
and exhibit a greater diversity than seen by the Opportunity Rover.
Edgett's analysis also shows that the sediments in the Sinus Meridiani
region have experienced multiple episodes of burial and exhumation,
suggesting a complex geologic and climatic history for this region that
may extend over a longer period than thought previously.
Edgett's paper includes 52 figures, including seven images obtained by the
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) orbiter
that have not been previously released to the public.
Links:
* The Mars Journal Web Site
http://marsjournal.org
* "The Mars Journal" editorial by David Paige
http://marsjournal.org/contents/2005/0001/
* "The sedimentary rocks of Sinus Meridiani: Five key observations from
data acquired by the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters" by
Kenneth Edgett
http://marsjournal.org/contents/2005/0002
* Comments from Kenneth Edgett to News/Media regarding his paper
http://www.msss.com/biographies/edgett/meridiani_media.html