Rich New Mars Exploration Rover Data Earth to

Rich New Mars Exploration Rover Data: Earth to Mars Sol 727 Marjorie A. Chan

GOAL: Ideas to utilize Mars data to enhance undergrad learning beyond the terrestrial realm Water in Meridiani Planum • New, sense of discovery • Building on terrestrial ideas • Application to unknown setting • Interdisciplinary • Hands-on data evaluation Pancam Microscopic Imager (MI) Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Arizona State University

CONCEPTS § Sedimentolgy, stratigraphy, diagenesis § Terrestrial analog ss color + concretions -> groundwater flow, host rock properties § Compare to Mars Hematite: Fe 2 O 3 Goethite: Fe. O(OH)

REGIONAL SETTING Jurassic Outcrops

3 step Utah model Grain scale 1. Reddening during early diagenesis, burial 2. Reducing fluids mobilize iron (Fe 3+ ->Fe 2+) 3. Concretions precipitate at oxidizing mixing front

Meridiani Planum Christiansen et al 2001 MER Opportunity Image Credits: NASA/JPLCaltech

Mars Outcrop Context Eagle Crater image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell Utah Q: How does Fe distribution and weathering compare?

Mars ACCUMULATIONS image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell Q: How do accumulations compare? Utah

IN SITU DISTRIBUTION image: NASA/JPL/ Cornell Mars Utah Q: What does in situ distribution tell us? (Compared to other nodule deposits? )

DIFFERENT MORPHOLOGIES, SIZES Utah images: NASA/JPL/Cornell 5 cm Mars image credits: NASA/JPL/Cornell Q: What causes different shapes? Does size matter?

Mars Moessbauer Spectra images: NASA/JPL/Cornell Eagle Crater 1 cm Utah Q: What does mineralogy tell? Internal structure?

Mars “Microberries” Q: Why are there small sizes? Sol 633 images: NASA/JPL/Cornell

Mars Sol 28 images: NASA/JPL/Cornell Q: Which came first : spherules or lathlike moldic porosity?

n Context: WHERE to get data? Google Mars http: //www. google. com/mars/ n Teaching Visuals http: //serc. carleton. edu/NAGTWorkshops/visua lization/collections/mars. html n n Easy: MER Mission n http: //marsrovers. jpl. nasa. gov/home/index. html n Press, Raw, Panorama, 3 -D n n Harder: MER Analyst’s Notebook n http: //anserver 1. eprsl. wustl. edu/ n

Given such examples, your ideas? • Ways to use data? • Specific projects? • Particular outcomes? • Skill sets? • Other?