Regolith

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Regolith visible on picture "Postcard Above Tennessee Valley"

Regolith is the layer of rocky or icy debris, sand, and dust made by meteoritic impact that forms the uppermost surface of planets, satellites and asteroids. It is a possible construction material in the form of bricks. Loose regolith may also be used as a radiation shield.

Landscapes with regolith formation have been found that look like they were shaped by the flow of water. Thoses formations were probably created by "gas-supported density flows". [1]

Open Issues

  • How radioactive is regolith?
  • What are the compositions of the regolith near possible settlement sites?

references

  1. How the landscape is formed to the shape of floods: THE COLLAPSE ORIGIN OF DENSITY FLOWS ON MARS