Spirit - Revision history

Suitupandshowup: /* Columbia Hills */

2019-02-09T21:41:42Z

Columbia Hills

Suitupandshowup: /* Findings */

2019-02-09T21:36:45Z

Findings

Suitupandshowup: /* See Also */ added link

2019-01-26T15:46:46Z

Suitupandshowup: /* Findings */

2018-12-19T03:30:01Z

Findings

Suitupandshowup: /* Plains */ added image

2018-12-19T00:37:25Z

Plains: added image

Suitupandshowup: /* External links */

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External links

Suitupandshowup: /* Recommended reading */

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Suitupandshowup: /* Recommended reading */

2018-12-19T00:29:22Z

Suitupandshowup: /* Findings */

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Findings

Suitupandshowup: /* Plains */

2018-12-19T00:23:53Z

Plains

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 Acid fog is believed to have changed some of the Watchtower rocks.  This was especially noticeable in a 200 meter long section of Cumberland Ridge and the Husband Hill summit.  Certain locations became more amorphous and less crystalline.  Acidic water vapor from volcanoes dissolved some minerals forming a gel.  When water evaporated, cement formed and produced small bumps.  This same process has been observed in the lab when basalt rocks are exposed to sulfuric and hydrochloric acids.<ref>http://spaceref.com/mars/signs-of-acid-fog-found-on-mars.html</ref> <ref>https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015AM/webprogram/Paper266774.html</ref> <ref>COLE, Shoshanna B., et al.  2015. IN-SITU EVIDENCE FOR ALTERATION BY ACID FOG ON HUSBAND HILL, GUSEV CRATER, MARS. 2015 GSA Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, USA (1–4 November 2015) Paper No. 94-10</ref>
 The Clovis group is especially interesting because the Mössbauer spectrometer(MB) detected goethite in it.<ref>Klingelhofer, G., et al.  2005.  Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXVI abstr. 2349</ref>  Goethite forms only in the presence of water, so its discovery is the first direct evidence of past water in the Columbia Hills's rocks. In addition, the MB spectra of rocks and outcrops displayed a strong decline in olivine presence, <ref >Schroder, C., et al. (2005) European Geosciences Union, General Assembly, Geophysical Research abstr., Vol. 7, 10254, 2005</ref> although the rocks probably once contained much olivine.  Olivine breaks down in the presence of water; therefore, water must have been present to reduce the amount of Olivine.<ref>Morris,S., et al.  Mossbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Gusev crater, Mars:  Spirit’s journal through weakly altered olivine basalt on the plains and pervasively altered basalt in the Columbia Hills.  J. Geophys. Res.: 111</ref>   Sulfate was found, and it needs water to be produced.
-Wishstone contained a great deal of plagioclase, some olivine, and anhydrate (a sulfate).  Peace rocks showed sulfur and strong evidence for bound water; hence, hydrated sulfates are suspected.  Watchtower class rocks lack olivine, consequently they may have been altered by water.  The Independence class showed some signs of clay (perhaps montmorillonite a member of the smectite group).  Anytime we find clay we know that water most have been around for a while.
+Wishstone contained a great deal of plagioclase, some olivine, and anhydrate (a sulfate).  Peace rocks showed sulfur and strong evidence for bound water; hence, hydrated sulfates are suspected.  Watchtower class rocks lack olivine, consequently they may have been altered by water.  The Independence class showed some signs of clay (perhaps montmorillonite--a member of the smectite group).  Anytime we find clay we know that water most have been around for a while.
 One type of soil, called Paso Robles, from the Columbia Hills, may be an evaporate deposit since it contains large amounts of sulfur, phosphorus, calcium, and iron.<ref>Ming,D., et al. 2006 Geochemical and mineralogical indicators for aqueous processes in the Columbia Hills of Gusev crater, Mars. J. Geophys. Res.111</ref>   Also, MB found that much of the iron in Paso Robles soil was of the oxidized, Fe<sup>+++</sup> form, which would happen if water had been present.<ref >Bell, J (ed.) The Martian Surface. 2008. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86698-9</ref>
 Towards the middle of the six-year mission (a mission that was supposed to last only 90 days), large amounts of pure silica were discovered in the soil.  The silica could have come from the interaction of soil with acid vapors produced by volcanic activity in the presence of water or from water in a hot spring environment.<ref>https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/mer-20070521.html</ref>

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 There are a variety of rocks in the Columbia Hills (Mars), some of which have been altered by water, but by very little water.
-The dust in Gusev Crater was determined to be the same as dust all around the planet.  All the dust was magnetic.  Moreover, Spirit found the magnetism was caused by the mineral magnetite-- especially magnetite that contained the element titanium.  Since one of the magnets was able to completely divert all the dust, it was concluded that all Martian dust is magnetic.<ref>Bertelsen, P., et al.  2004.  "Magnetic Properties on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit at Gusev Crater".  ''Science'': 305. 827–829</ref>  The spectra of the dust was similar to spectra of bright, low thermal inertia regions like Arabia  and Tharsis that have been detected by orbiting satellites.  A thin layer of dust, maybe less than one millimeter thick, covers all surfaces.  Besides being magnetic , something in it contains a small amount of chemically bound water.<ref name="Bell, J 2008">Bell, J (ed.)  ''The Martian Surface''.  2008.  Cambridge University Press. </ref> <ref>Gelbert, R. et al.  "Chemistry of Rocks and Soils in Gusev Crater from the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer".  ''Science'':  305. 829-305</ref>
+The dust in Gusev Crater was determined to be the same as dust all around the planet.  All the dust was magnetic.  Moreover, Spirit found the magnetism was caused by the mineral magnetite-- especially magnetite that contained the element titanium.  Since one of the magnets was able to completely divert all the dust, it was concluded that all Martian dust is magnetic.<ref>Bertelsen, P., et al.  2004.  "Magnetic Properties on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit at Gusev Crater".  ''Science'': 305. 827–829</ref>  The spectra of the dust was similar to spectra of bright, low thermal inertia regions like Arabia  and Tharsis that have been detected by orbiting satellites.  A thin layer of dust, maybe less than one millimeter thick, covers all surfaces.  Besides being magnetic, something in it contains a small amount of chemically bound water.<ref name="Bell, J 2008">Bell, J (ed.)  ''The Martian Surface''.  2008.  Cambridge University Press. </ref> <ref>Gelbert, R. et al.  "Chemistry of Rocks and Soils in Gusev Crater from the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer".  ''Science'':  305. 829-305</ref>
 ===Plains===

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 ==See Also==
+*[[Aeolis quadrangle]]
 *[[Oceans on Mars]]
 *[[Rivers on Mars]]

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 Spirit’s instruments found that rocks on the plains of Gusev are a type of basalt.  They contain the minerals olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase, and magnetite, and resemble  the volcanic basalt as they are fine-grained with irregular holes (geologists would say they have vesicles and vugs).<ref >McSween, etal. 2004. "Basaltic Rocks Analyzed by the Spirit Rover in Gusev Crater". Science : 305. 842–845</ref>  <ref >Arvidson R. E.; et al. (2004). "Localization and Physical Properties Experiments Conducted by Spirit at Gusev Crater". Science. 305 (5685): 821–824.</ref>  Much of the soil on the plains came from the breakdown of  nearby rocks.  Some soils showed fairly high levels of nickel; probably from meteorites.<ref>Gelbert R.; et al. (2006). "The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS): results from Gusev crater and calibration report". J. Geophys. Res. Planets. 111.</ref>
 Analysis led scientists to believe that the rocks have been slightly altered by tiny amounts of water.  Outside coatings and cracks inside the rocks suggest water deposited minerals (maybe bromine compounds).  All the rocks contain a fine coating of dust and one or more harder kinds of substance.  One type can be brushed off, while another needed to be removed by the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT).<ref>Christensen P (August 2004). "Initial Results from the Mini-TES Experiment in Gusev Crater from the Spirit Rover". Science. 305 (5685): 837–842.</ref>
 There are a variety of rocks in the Columbia Hills (Mars), some of which have been altered by water, but by very little water.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:37, 19 December 2018
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	Image:Spirit's First Color Photograph Mars.jpg\|First color picture from Gusev crater. Rocks were found to be basalt. Everything was covered with a fine dust that ''Spirit'' determined was magnetic because of the mineral magnetite.		Image:Spirit's First Color Photograph Mars.jpg\|First color picture from Gusev crater. Rocks were found to be basalt. Everything was covered with a fine dust that ''Spirit'' determined was magnetic because of the mineral magnetite.
		+
		+	File:AdirondackP2542 Sol14 L456-A16R1 br.jpg\|The rock called "Adirondack." It was the first rock to be examined by Spirit
		+

	File:Rockgusevdiagram.jpg\|Cross-sectional drawing of a typical rock from the plains of Gusev crater. Most rocks contain a coating of dust and one or more harder coatings. Veins of water-deposited veins are visible, along with crystals of olivine. Veins may contain bromine salts.		File:Rockgusevdiagram.jpg\|Cross-sectional drawing of a typical rock from the plains of Gusev crater. Most rocks contain a coating of dust and one or more harder coatings. Veins of water-deposited veins are visible, along with crystals of olivine. Veins may contain bromine salts.

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 *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihcW31lFQR4 Spirit Rover - 3 years on Mars]
 *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWk-umZm86U Highlights from landing day of Mars rover Spirit]
 *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOgYZKxKdWI “WELCOME TO MARS” (documentary)]

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 *[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_(rover)  Spirit (rover) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]
 *[https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/merlandings.pdf Mars Exploration Rover Landings Press Kit]
-*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolis_quadrangle  wikipedia.Aeolis_quadrangle
+*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolis_quadrangle  wikipedia.Aeolis_quadrangle]
 == External links ==

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 Analysis led scientists to believe that the rocks have been slightly altered by tiny amounts of water.  Outside coatings and cracks inside the rocks suggest water deposited minerals (maybe bromine compounds).  All the rocks contain a fine coating of dust and one or more harder kinds of substance.  One type can be brushed off, while another needed to be removed by the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT).<ref>Christensen P (August 2004). "Initial Results from the Mini-TES Experiment in Gusev Crater from the Spirit Rover". Science. 305 (5685): 837–842.</ref>
-[[File:MOLA spirit.jpg|thumb|right|250px|An overall view of MER-A ''Spirit'' landing site (denoted with a star)]]
+[[File:PIA21723-MarsOpportunityRover-PerserveranceValley-20170619.jpg|thumb|right|250px|PerserveranceValley]]
 There are a variety of rocks in the Columbia Hills (Mars), some of which have been altered by water, but by very little water.

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 Coatings on the rocks may have occurred when rocks were buried and interacted with thin films of water and dust.  One sign that they were altered was that it was easier to grind these rocks compared to the same types of rocks found on Earth.
 The first rock that ''Spirit'' studied was Adirondack.  It turned out to be typical of the other rocks on the plains.
 <gallery class="center" widths="190px" heights="180px" >
 Image:Spirit's First Color Photograph Mars.jpg|First color picture from Gusev crater.  Rocks were found to be basalt.  Everything was covered with a fine dust that ''Spirit'' determined was magnetic because of the mineral magnetite.
-Image:Rockgusev.jpg|Cross-sectional drawing of a typical rock from the plains of Gusev crater.  Most rocks contain a coating of dust and one or more harder coatings.  Veins of water-deposited veins are visible, along with crystals of olivine.  Veins may contain bromine salts.
 </gallery>