NASA Is Not Altering Mars Colors.

Some of the rocks are smooth, some of the other rocks are very brick shaped. At least it's apparent to me when I look at the pictures.

Also, this from slashdot:

<i>"The Spirit rover's <a href="http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20040120a.html">first soil analysis</a> reveals some <a href="http://mars.astrobio.net/news/article239.html">puzzling features</a> about <a href="http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040120a/2F127877124EDN0327P1102R0M1-A17R1_br.jpg">Gusev crater</a>. The region seems to contain the greenish silicate mineral, <a href="http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/olivine/olivine.htm">olivine</a>, which usually is considered water-reactive and thus volcanic in origin. For olivine to be found <a href="http://athena.cornell.edu/the_mission/ins_moss.html">in the soil</a> may point to rock formation during a <a href="http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Nov03/olivine.html">drier period</a> in martian history, even with strong evidence for sampling in <a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040105.html">an ancient lakebed</a>. A second puzzle is why the soil seems so <a href="http://mars.astrobio.net/news/article203.html">crusty</a>. After the rover arm pressed soil down, the top layer of dust <a href="http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040120a/mi_pre_post_mb_placement2_br.gif">hardly moved</a>, a finding that suggests something may be binding the dust like some type of salt or thin cement."</i>
 
Well given that they might be on a dry lakebed, don't you think you'll see an assortment of different rocks? As it looks like a river carried water (perhaps) into the crater according to the orbital photos, I see it as debris that was carried by water into the area. So we have rocks and soil that may have gone through a volcanic process that gets washed into the crater. We have rocks and soil that were there to begin with that didn't go through the same weathering as others washed into the area. So I'm not surprised by the various assortment of rocks and soil in the area. Once all the water would have disappeared, it seems that some sort of salt crust formed, given the mineral content that looks to be there right now.

Also, let me add that now over a millenia or so, wind and sand errosion also take effect giving rocks other distinct looks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top