About the Columbia Hills in Gusev.

[exoscientist]

One possibility for the Columbia Hills is that they are frost mounds:<br /><br />=====================================<br />From: Robert Clark (rgregoryclark@yahoo.com)<br />Subject: Could the Columbia Hills in Gusev, Mars be frost mounds? <br />Newsgroups: sci.astro, alt.sci.planetary, sci.geo.geology, sci.geo.mineralogy<br />Date: 2004-06-12 01:15:06 PST <br /> <br /><br />The discovery of sulfates near surface in Gusev in amounts that got<br />higher as you approach the hills might support the idea the hills are<br />frost mounds:<br /><br />From: Robert Clark (rgregoryclark@yahoo.com)<br />Subject: Spirit rover may yet make a key discovery. <br />Newsgroups: sci.astro, alt.sci.planetary, sci.geo.geology,<br />sci.geo.mineralogy<br />Date: 2004-04-18 02:22:29 PST<br />http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=832ea96d.0404180122.63dddc88%40posting.google.com<br /><br /><br /> Bob Clark<br />=====================================<br /><br /><br /> However, look at this MGS image of the hills:<br /><br />http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect19/08-JR-08-crater-380-266.jpg<br /><br />taken from this page:<br /><br />Remote Sensing Tutorial Page 19-13a<br />Missions to Mars during the Third Millenium<br />http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect19/Sect19_13a.html<br /><br /> The image makes the two prominant hills visible in the image appear to have once been conical but with now eroded eastern sides, and with central craters.<br /> Since MER data shows water related geochemistry occurs in association with these hills, perhaps the hills were ancient maars.<br /> See examples of maars here:<br /><br />Coliseum Maar, Hopi Buttes, Arizona<br />http://volc <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[exoscientist]

Space Sciences. <br />re: Sedimentary rock?them thar hills <br />Posted by Robert Clark on 8/8/2004 2:17:20 AM <br />In Reply to: Sedimentary rock?them thar hills posted by Scho on 8/7/2004 6:12:50 PM<br />http://habitablezone.com/space/messages/337257.html<br /> <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[exoscientist]

The maar explanation for the hills would also provide an origin for the basaltic lava seen in Gusev:<br /><br />Juicy evidence hidden under Martian lava.<br />"To their great disappointment, Spirit has found little evidence of that water, instead finding that a thick layer of basalt and other volcanic rock flowed over much of the crater, burying the juiciest evidence. It is not clear where the lava would have flowed from."<br />http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5612594/<br /><br /><br /> It is known olivine containing basaltic lava can emanate from maars.<br /><br /><br /> Bob Clark<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rlb2]

Bob I did something with the small image you provided. I can do much more with it if you know where there is a much larger high resolution image.<br /><br />What about glacier activity?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>