NOTES: MARS

1
NOTES MARS 0.53 Diam(earth), -140 oC to 20
oC Atmosphere 95 CO2, 3 N2, 2 Ar
24 hr day, 25o axial tilt like Earth 1. Small
liquid core and magnetic field. Much thicker
solid mantle than Earth. Thin basaltic
crust (20 km). 2. Surface Features Largest in
solar system A. Two hemispheres separated by 1
km high scarp tilted 35o from equator
i. To the North--sparsely cratered
lowlands. ii. To the South--very cratered
highlands. B. Tharsis province--just North of
scarp--a giant volcanic bulge 5,000 mi long, 4 mi
high. i. 3 giant volcanos near
crest--195-250 mi across, 15 mi high.
ii. Olympus Mons--NW flank 400 mi wide, 16 mi
hi. iii. Clouds of ice near peaks of
mtns. C. Fractures radiating out from Tharsis
i. Valles Marineris--to east---3,100 mi
long. Water erosion. Flooding onto
lowlands-Chryse Planitia.
ii. Coprates Chasma--430 mi wide, 4 mi deep
landslides. iii. Other canyons--blocks
collapsed--chaotic terrain. 3. Dust
storms--closer to sun by 20, 45 hotter--dark
spots. 4. Phobos--closest satellite--will take
plunge in 100 mill. Yrs. Stickney--big crater on
Phobos. Deimos--smaller satellite. 5. Visits
Mariners 4, 6, 7, 9 orbit, Viking 1, 2 landers.
Pathfinder landed lakebed like Mono Lake,
satellite photos. 6. Life? Viking--Amino
Acid-like. Antarctic meteorite-bacteria?
2
Just like men and women have fantasies about each
other, we have had fantasies about Venus and
Mars.
Percival Lowell and his Canals on Mars
3
Mars fantasies gone wild!
4
Facts about MARS 0.53 Diam(earth), -140 oC to
20 oC Atmosphere 95 CO2, 3 N2, 2 Ar 24 hr
day, 25o axial tilt like Earth
5
Small liquid core (if any), almost no magnetic
field. Much thicker solid mantle than Earth.
Thin basaltic crust (20 km).
6
Two hemispheres separated by 1 km high scarp
tilted 35o from equator i. To the
North--sparsely cratered lowlands. ii. To the
South--very cratered highlands.
7
Valles Marineris--to east on last slide---3,100
mi long. Water erosion. Flooding onto
lowlands-Chryse Planitia.
8
Chryse Panitiaformerly flooded lowlands? (to
left on last slide)
9
Coprates Chasma--430 mi wide, 4 mi deep
landslides widest portion of Valley of the
Mariners.
10
Valles Marineris (middle top), Candor Chasma
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Tharsis province--just North of scarp--a giant
volcanic bulge 5,000 mi long, 4 mi high.
i. 3 giant volcanos near crest--195-250 mi
across, 15 mi high. ii. Olympus
Mons--NW flank 400 mi wide, 16 mi high
iii. Clouds of ice near peaks of mtns.
12
Cydonia Province.
? face
pyramids?
13
Viking 1976 vs Surveyor 1998
Face on Mars?
14
Dust storms--closer to sun by 20 in summer, 45
hotter--dark spots.
15
Satellites Phobos--will take plunge onto Mars in
100 mill. Yrs. Stickney--big crater on Phobos.
Deimos--smaller satellite.
16
Early visits Mariners 4, 6, 7, 9 orbiters
Viking 1, 2 , Sojourner landers.
Vikings view.
17
Mono Lake, California pillars of bacterial
fossils
18
Pathfinder Mission (Sojourner Rover) landed near
lakebed like Mono Lake.
No signs of fossils
19
Global Surveyor-- best maps by laser pinging
Surface.
20
Life? Viking--Amino Acid-like. Antarctic
meteorite--bacteria? After much debateno
21
Mars rover Opportunity (other was Spirit)
22
Opportunity ground into El Capitan rock.
23
BB like formations indicating liquid water in
past?
24
Some alien must have been eating pasta!
25
Is this algae!? (no)
26
Methane discovered in Mars atmosphere!
There are two possible sources either active
volcanoes, none of which have been found yet on
Mars, or microbes.
Scientists operating the Mars Express (French)
Spectrometer (FPS) (2004) have announced they
have detected methane. Confirmed by two
telescopic observations.
27
NASA Phoenix lander (2008) discovers WATER ice
on Mars!? life way underneath surface?