Images of Mars -- Part 2

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rlb2

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2P171644904EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P172348101EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P172349324EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P171642477EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P171644069EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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Marslauncher, crazyeddie<br /><br />Thanks <br /><br />We are just lucky that space.com lets us post so many of our images. This allows us to refine our work to try <br />to post what we think is a close approximation to true color while at the same time sharpen the image so <br />we can see more detail of the Martian surface.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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Swampcat

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Here's a panorama I put together from Spirit, Sol 541 (L2, L5 & L6 filters).<br /><br />Full size image<br />(4406x1356, 991kb) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>
 
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rlb2

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I lightened these up a bit, so we can see the rocks better.<br /><br />2P174390446EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P174391028EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P174392034EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P174393062EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P174394040EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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<font color="orange">During its ascent of Husband Hill within the Columbia Hills, the robot came across a “very cool <br />outcrop” of layered bedrock that has been tagged as Independence Rock, Squyres said. <br /><br />“We’ve thoroughly worked it over with all of the arm instruments now, and it’s very strange stuff,” Squyres<br /> reported. He said it was one of the oddest things seen at Gusev. <br /><br />“I’m not ready to go into much detail here about the chemistry and mineralogy yet, since we’re still <br />chugging through the data,” Squyres noted. The rock is clearly highly altered, sporting an unusually low iron<br /> content, he said, “which isn’t something we’ve seen much of before.”<br /><br />Science work at the Independence Rock has been completed. Spirit has resumed its ascent. “The <br />ground is real solid here, and the climbing is good. I still don’t know if we’ll reach the summit or not, but the <br />recent progress has been excellent,” Squyres concluded.<br /><br />http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050719_rovers_update.html<br /><br /><font color="white">For you rock hounds this rock here seems very interesting.<br /><br />2P174836531EL5M1<br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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Some more rocks.<br /><br />2P174396081EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P174834702EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P174836176EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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JonClarke

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Low iron? That's very interesting. Some possibilities for people to mull over, in no particular order.<br /><br />Very fractionated igenous rock, perhaps dacitic in composition, in which case it would probably be an ejecta block.<br /><br />Non volcanic sediment.<br /><br />Extremely hydrothermally leached and altered rock.<br /><br />As always, thanks for the awesome photos.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>
 
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silylene old

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Jon, am I correct to understand <i>dacitic</i> lavas are particularly viscous, and often contain high silica and low %water?<br /><br />(Jon's comments always inspire me to learn more a bit more geology. Anyways, while googling, here is a website with illustrations of the many types of lava flows: http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Lavaflows.html) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>
 
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Thanks<br /><br /><font color="orange">Low iron? That's very interesting.<font color="white"><br /><br />Sure gets the imagination going doesn't it. Hopefully we will soon find out what they uncovered.<br /><br /><br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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JonClarke

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Dacites are rich in silica, aluminium, calcium and sodium, but relatively low in iron. They often have high water contents, which is why they are often very destructive in their eruptions (Mt St Helens is a dacite volcano). It is also one reason why they are associated with hot spring systems (although often the water in thermal strings are not magmatic, but normal groundwater).<br /><br />Their lavas are usually very sticky at their normal eruption temperatures (600-800 degrees C) because of their high silica contents which leads which polymerisation. This stickiness also aids the explosive eruption process. Lower silica lavas (e.g. basalts) are richer in metal oxides and behave more like liquid metals and are thus more fluid. If superheated (to 900-1000 degrees) dacite lavas can be quite fluid. This is rare though.<br /><br />They are close cousins to rhyolites, which have higher potassium (and sometimes sodium) and lower calcium. Rhyolites and dacites are the volcanic equivalents of granite and granodiorite, respectively. Together they are called felsic (light coloured) igneous rocks.<br /><br />Typically felsic rocks are thought to be rare on Mars because they are associated with plate tectonics. However recently large areas of felsic rocks have been identified in THEMIS data from Nili Paterea. These are probably formed by a different process to flate tectonics, naminly mafic underplating and partial melting of the crust. In english this means that very large bodies of mafic (dark coloured, ie basaltic) magma pond in the lower crust and heat enough to undergo partial melting. The resulting partial melts are felsic in composition and rise though the crust forming incrusions and volcanoes. this process is thought to have been very common in the Archaean earth and is probably responsible for some mid-continent volcanism today. Some rhyo-dacites associated with underplating are the superfluid superheated felsic lavas mentioned above.<br /><br />Hope this ma <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>
 
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These must be the rocks they are looking at?<br /><br />2P175192773EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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2P175192887EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>
 
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silylene old

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Thanks Jon, it is clear. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>
 
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