View source for Crew 1b - Crew Reports


===Dispatch from Mars Base Utah, Feb 14, 2002, Robert Zubrin ===
Today was changeover today. Frank’s replacement, geology professor Andrew Dee Wet of Franklin and Marshall University, joined us last might. My replacement, Tony Muscatello, the head of Mars Society Mission Support, showed up around 11 am. Frank and I spent about 2 hours briefing the new arrivals. Shortly before 1 PM, we gathered the crew for a brief parting ceremony on the upper deck. It was a warm moment; in our week working together we had all become good friends. However, it was time to leave, and a few minutes later we were gone. 

With the completion of its first week of field research, the Mars Desert Research Station can now be considered fully operational. We have learned how to make all essential systems work, established simulation procedures, and started the systematic survey and scientific study of the area. Over the next three months our research program will expand and diversify. We will test the ability of crews to conduct field research using sophisticated equipment such as ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic sounding gear, and seismic sensors. We will put into operation a closed ecological life support system and determine not only whether such a unit works well from a technical point of view, but whether the benefits it offers outweigh the commitment of crew time it will necessarily draw from other tasks. We will test the utility of many other types of tools, technologies, and procedures, and explore human factors issues to try to determine the best mixes of skills and character types to conduct a sustained exploration program. Should a Mars mission be led from Mission Control, or from the Mars base? There are strong-sounding are arguments for either approach. We will be able to put them to the test. 

We will use the knowledge gained in the desert this spring to refine the research we will do in our Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station this summer. Then in October, the desert station will go operational again, this time for an 8-month season. I believe that what we will learn will be immense. 

As Frank and I drove out through the desolate Mars-like terrain separating the hab from highway 24, I had time to reflect on the question of what might bring people to settle in such a desolate place. That very morning in the hab, the lab team had discovered a small amount of gold in one of our rock samples. Perhaps Mars, as yet unscoured by human searchers, will yield rich finds of precious metals that will draw those seeking economic gain. Yet, that is not the motive that drew the pioneers of Utah. The Mormons who first opened this frontier were not lured by profit; rather they were driven by hope for the chance to exercise that fundamental form of freedom that comes from being able to cut one’s own path, from building one’s own world. For such freedom, people will endure much. 

Most of the folks around Hanksville are still Mormons, direct descendants of the original pioneers. I don’t know much about their theology, but I like them a lot as people. They have solid values and lots of grit. It will probably take people like them to establish the first permanent human settlements on Mars. 

That is for the future. Today our task is to get the first human explorers to Mars – to open the Red Planet for the first time to human eyes, human minds, and human hands. The commissioning of the Mars Desert Research Station is a significant step in that direction. In this station, we will develop much of the knowledge needed to effectively explore Mars. Furthermore, I believe that when the time comes to train the crew of the first human Mars mission, they will be trained in either this station, or one descended from it. 

For it is from little things that great things grow. 

On to Mars. 

===Commander's Check-in Script — MDRS, Feb 14, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
'''Time returned:''' EVA team (Heather, Jen, and Andy) 

'''Crew physical status:''' Good shape. Spirits high. 

'''Brief narrative of field mission results:''' EVA team visited two sites SE of hab to get the geological stratigraphic column. They visited two sites with five waypoints. 

'''Plans for next day:''' Another short EVA in the vicinity of the Hab to do similar work. Direction will be determined this evening. 

'''Report transmission schedule:''' All reports planned by 10 pm MST 

'''Maintenance (from checklist):''' 

'''Morning narrative/data/interpretations:''' 

'''Afternoon narrative:''' 

'''Afternoon science data:''' 

'''Afternoon science interpretations:''' 

'''Inventory (food):''' Low on bread. About 24 hr of gasoline left. Need resupply. Will handle ourselves. 

'''Miscellaneous? :''' Showers for holdover crew tomorrow AM. 

===Daily Log — MDRS, Feb 13-14, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
February 13, 2002

I left Denver for the Mars Desert Research Station today to command the second rotation of the 2002 season. Four members of the crew will stay on for a second week. Dr. Zubrin, who commanded the first week, and Frank Schubert, the MDRS manager, will return to Denver. A new crew member will join me for the second week. 

I didn’t get packed until this morning, having worked Mission Support at Pioneer Astronautics last night until almost 11 pm. I bought some chemicals requested by the crew and gathered up the last of the six space suits and some other equipment at Pioneer Astronautics this afternoon after working some with Mark Berggren on our project. I left Pioneer and went shopping for several more items requested by the crew. I didn’t get out of Lakewood until 6 pm so I only got as far as Fruita, CO tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll get up early and head for Hanksville. Gary and K. Mark told me the road to the Hab is hard to find, but easy to backtrack to since you can see the Hab from the main road. Hopefully I’ll find it without too much effort. 

I checked into a motel in Fruita and did a little channel surfing as I got ready for bed. Amazingly enough, AMC is showing ‘Robinson Crusoe on Mars,’ an early ‘60’s scifi movie about the first manned mission to Mars. In this movie, Mars is a lot more benign than we know now. (It looks like it was filmed in Utah.) There, there is almost enough atmosphere to breathe and it’s rather warm (the hero runs around in short sleeves and Friday is shirtless). Initially, the marooned astronaut gets additional oxygen by heating rocks in a fire. Incredibly, my project at Pioneer right now is to extract oxygen from the soil and rocks by reacting it with carbon monoxide, a strange parallel. The plotline for the movie gets rather far out, with aliens in War of the Worlds-like spacecraft mining on Mars and using slave labor. I won’t have time to watch it to the end, but its fun to check it out. 

Time to sign off. Tomorrow I begin my rotation. I wonder what adventures are in store for me. It’s very unlikely alien spacecraft will be involved, but I expect it to be full of good science and discoveries. 

Tony 

February 14, 2002 

I arrived at the Hab today at 11 am after wandering through the Utah wilderness for an hour. I got to Hanksville at 10 am, but since I don’t have a GPS, I had to guess on where the road to the Hab is located. I went too far at first, but got a great view of the Factory Butte, which is west of the Hab. There was a detailed map posted on a sign at this road and I got a rough idea where the road was heading back to Hanksville. I first took the wrong one, and gave up after a couple of miles of four-wheeling in my front wheel drive Avalon (not recommended). The terrain didn’t have the right colors shown in the Hab photos on that road. 

I finally found what looked like the right road and headed north, flying on instinct and what I recalled from discussions with Gary Snyder and K. Mark Caviezel, who had been out here. Lo and behold, there it was in all its glory as I rounded a bend in the road. The Hab is 30 ft tall and is an impressive site, even with the spectacular geology around it. Up close, it looks a little beat up from the shipping from Kennedy Space Center, no doubt, but so would a real Hab after entry into Mars atmosphere. As I drove up, I could see that they weren’t in sim conditions – Frank Schubert was over at the generator showing two guys something without space suits on. This is necessary in many circumstances, mainly for safety reasons, e.g. you don’t want to refill gas tanks in the suit because you might spill gasoline on them and not notice until you lit up from contact with a hot spot on an ATV (also not recommended). 

Anyway, I got settled in after meeting Andy de Wet, the other new guy, and Steve McDaniel. Robert Zubrin had gone into town to copy some papers and to look for me (since I was a bit late). I went upstairs to meet the rest of my crew and Robert came along soon. He gave Andy and me a quick course in ATV driving. They’re not too bad once you know the basics. 

The crew had planned a long EVA, but we decided to stay closer to home since the change over had caused a delay in the start time. Heather Chluda, Jen Heldmann, and Andy de Wet headed out in full space suit regalia on ATVs to explore to the southwest. Andy was especially interested in establishing a geological stratigraphic column for the area. This means to establish the layering order. He also will establish the strike and dip for the formations during his watch here. This means determining the angle of the plane of the rocks relative to north and the angle of the plane versus the horizontal. As Andy explained, it’s a way to define the plane of a bed of rock in three dimensions. We will need to do the very same thing on Mars. 

I can’t do justice to the beautiful scenery in the vicinity of the Hab. Just look at the pictures and multiply by ten when you’re here in person. The banded sandstones are just awesome, with yellows, pinks, and pale browns alternating. The unusual erosion patterns do add an unearthly, Mars-like feeling to the place. The views out each porthole in the upper floor of the Hab are like you’re on Mars, looking at an alien landscape. The team who chose this site deserve lots of accolades. 

I’m feeling right at home here tonight. The crew members are all great and we had lots of fun at dinner. Everyone has a great sense of humor and sense of cooperation. I have a few major goals for my rotation – get lots of good science and engineering done while learning how to do so under Mars exploration conditions, get these things done without exhausting anyone, and to get the hab in a little neater condition. It looks like I’m in for ‘My Greatest Adventure’ (an old comic book from the ‘60s). On to Mars! With people like the ones here and throughout the Mars Society, we’ll be there sooner than you think. 

Gotta go now. The crew did such a great job finishing reports fairly early tonight that they’ve earn the right to see a movie (‘Charlie’s Angels’). Should be lots of fun! 

Tony 

===EVA VII Report — MDRS, Feb 14, 2002, Jennifer Heldmann, Heather Schluda, Andy De Wet===
'''Time:''' approximately 2:30pm to 4:30pm 

'''General direction:''' SSE of the HAB 

'''Distance:''' Approximately 2.5 miles 

'''Goals:''' general reconnaissance of the geology, collect rock samples, collect biological samples 

'''Narrative:''' Initially we had planned on conducting a long EVA today by returning to the Barsoom Outcrops for a more detailed analysis of this geologically and biologically rich site. However, because of today’s crew changeover (Robert Zubrin and Frank Schubert departed and Andy De Wet and Tony Muscatello arrived to join Jen Heldmann, Troy Wegman, Heather Schluda, and Steve McDaniel), various Hab maintenance activities caused a late start for the EVA. Therefore, the crew decided to conduct a shorter reconnaissance EVA towards the south of the Hab, an area that to date had not been explored by an MDRS EVA. Therefore Jennifer, Heather, and Andy set out on the ATVs and marked observation waypoints as well as conducted more detailed studies of several of the sites. Findings are described below. 

'''Waypoint 48:''' 4249.79 km N, 518.20 km E, Observation Point - Elevation: 4498 km.

Quick stop on the road from the HAB to Route 24 West. Here the road crosses a broad flat valley. The ground is covered in small pebbles comprising a wide variety of rock types. A small gully crosses the road here. The gully bed comprises sand with few pebbles or boulders. From this vantage point, the top of the HAB ridge could be observed. A resistant layer several meters thick defines the ridge. A 10 to 20 meter thick less resistant (Clay?) gray layer occurs below the ridge. Below this occurs a thick (50 to 100 meters) sequence of alternating red and white layers. Observation images facing north, south, east, and west were taken at this point. 

'''Waypoint 49:''' 4248.75 km N, 519.09 km E, Low Stratigraphic point – Elevation: 4482 ft.

Broad flat plain to the west and small irregular gullies and hills to the east. The gullies cut through a sequence of medium to coarse grained cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates. This outcrop is clearly stratigraphically below the sediments described at waypoint 48. The cross-bedding occurs in set between 20 cm and several meters thick. The clasts include a wide variety of lithotypes and minerals. The grains are well rounded but poorly sorted indicating a somewhat proximal source. The cross bedding indicates a fluvial environment. Geo Sample 49.1 of the conglomerate rock was taken here. Bio Sample 49.1 was an endolithic organism in a conglomerate rock. This site was digitally imaged. 

'''Waypoint 50:''' 4249.01 km N, 519.19 km E, - Higher Stratigraphic point - Elevation: 4482 ft.

This was a small hill (18 feet high) that included red medium grained cross-bedded sandstones with a few thin discontinuous conglomeratic horizons. These rocks appeared to be stratigraphically above the rocks described at Waypoint 49. They may represent a transitional sequence between the thick cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates below and the finer grained red and gray layers above. Geo Sample 50.1 of the red sandstone was taken here A biological sample 50.1 was an endolithic organism near the surface of a sandstone rock. 

'''Waypoint 51:''' 4247.49 km N, 520.25 km E, Top of Canyon – Elevation: 4404 ft.

This stop was located between the road and a small canyon to the east. Numerous large pebbles and boulders were strewn across the landscape. The boulders seem to be concentrated in certain horizons although the boulders were not found insitu. The boulders were covered in black desert varnish but they included a wide variety of resistant lithologies including igneous rocks (diorite?), coarse-grained quartzites and chert. The boulders are all well rounded and flatten. They may represent a beach deposit because finer grained sandstones with bioturbation (feeding traces of worms?) were identified in this sequence. The bioturbation probably occurred in a shallow marine environment. 

One biological sample was taken here; 51.1 was another endolithic organism found when breaking open a layer of sandstone. Geologic samples of the igneous rocks were also collected. This site was digitally imaged. 

'''Waypoint 52:''' 4247.52 km N, 520.38 km E, Bottom of Canyon – Elevation: 4374 ft.

This waypoint was located in the small canyon to the east of Waypoint 50 (approximately 30 feet deep). A thick sequence of cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates overlies an alternating sequence of thinner red and brown sandstones and siltstones. Fine grained gray-green horizons may represent shallow marine deposits. Thick-bedded coarse-grained cross-bedded sandstones occur in the lowest parts of the canyon. These rocks represent the lowest layers in the sequence we traversed during EVA7. The canyon contained flowing water. 

Two biological samples were taken here. 52.1 was a sample of the frozen water. 52.2 was a sample of sandstone with black and pinkish-white lichen epilithic. When a layer of the rock was broken open a layer it revealed a small colony of brown-green endolithic organisms that were sampled. Geologic samples of the red and green coatings on the outcrop as well as a sandstone sample were collected. This site was digitally imaged. 

A crude stratigraphic sequence can be developed based on these observations. This sequence will be improved with observations made on future EVA’s. 

===Biology Report — MDRS, Feb 14, 2002, Troy Wegman===
Today the samples from the 13FEB02 EVA were analyzed in the lab. The samples were from Lith Canyon, Waypoint 13. Two protocols were used for sample extraction. One included the direct scraping from the sample, and the other included crushing the sample with a glass stir rod in a microcentrifuge tube, adding 1 ml of water, vortexing, and spinning the sample for a brief time to pellet out the sediment. Wet mounts were made from the supernatant or in 50% glycerol. Samples #5 (endolith found in medium-grain sedimentary sandstone on the side canyon wall) and #6 (endolith found in desert varnish boulder) contained green cells resembling algae. In the rest of the samples, including water and strata samples, no organisms were seen. All samples did contain moving particles at 1000X oil immersion, but it is unclear as to whether these are living or artifact. 

===Engineering Report — MDRS, Feb 14, 2002, Frank Schubert, Steve McDaniel===
Today Frank Schubert was replaced by Steve McDaniel as station engineer. Frank debriefed Steve on a variety of projects and prioritized the projects. Andy de Wet also accompanied the engineering team to start becoming familiar with the tasks and equipment. After crew change and the EVA team departed, McDaniel began to work on the projects assigned by Schubert and accomplished same as noted below: 

'''Drain grey water into the leech field:''' Done; Repeat in 2-4 days 

'''Empty sink bucket into leech field:''' Done; Repeat in 2-4 days 

'''Empty incinolet ash bucket:''' Done; the ash bucket was overflowing; it is not known when last cleanout was accomplished; repeat in 2-4 days 

'''Antiseptic washdown of head:''' Done; made up 1:4 dilution of commercial bleach prep and placed in spry bottle; instruct crew to use after each use of urinal 

'''Install incinolet liners on wall:''' Done 

'''Replace rear hatch missing bolt:''' Done; the upper most hinge was missing both bolts; one was replaced on the uppermost hinge hole, however it was noted that the backing plate appeared to have been stripped out, and it is not known how long this repair will last; we need either a tap & die or other repair means for this bolt and others that are missing in the hatches; there is substantial rusting on the door hinges and backing plate; recommend treating same with rust preventative 

'''Roof hatch membrane attachment:''' Not done to date; the replacement crew brought rubber cement to attach the roof membranes installed by Schubert around the dome hatch; due to high winds, and due to the required 65 degree/24 hour period on the cement, this will be delayed until weather permits; we did place 1-2 pound iron angles on the loose membrane and this seemed to hold to at least some degree even with the wind gusting to 35+ mph 

'''Installing 2nd circuit line:''' Partially accomplished; we are installing a second dedicated electrical line from the generator’s 30 amp breaker into the hab’s breaker box (presently a single line supply electrifies both bus bars of the breaker box); this is being done to allow a separate circuit for computer equipment apart from a circuit dedicate to the cooking equipment and hot water heater; McDaniel could not locate a single commercial grade extension line, so we made up a two line unit; subsequent work will be done to affix a suitable connector to the extension cord in order to connect into the 30 amp breaker at the generator and to drop a wire down from the hab breaker box dedicated to the second bus bar 

'''Estimate fuel remaining:''' Fuel was used to gas up three ATV’s and to top off the generator; we estimate 20 gallons remaining in all carbouys and 55 gallon reservoirs; recommend refilling at least on if not both 55 gallon drums by day’s end of 15FEB02 

'''Flag staff emergency repair:''' Winds in excess of 35 mph required the lowering of the flagstaff; the lower circular cover for the dome hatch was taken off in order to allow access to the flagstaff; the flag staff was lowered into the hab sufficiently to eliminate any threat of it dismasting and damaging the roof or the satellite receiver dish; it is recommended that a mean such as block and tackle be installed so that the flag can be lowered without having to lower the flag staff into the hab 

===Daily Log — MDRS, Feb 15, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
Today was a very busy day. I rose about seven AM after going to bed about 12:30 pm last night. The uploading of the photo files takes an intolerable amount of time so I’ve requested that we degrade the resolution a bit. That should help a bit. I couldn’t go to sleep right away from the excitement of being here, but eventually I dropped off. A couple of the other crew members are real night owls and stayed up a bit later – checking email I suspect. That reveals that we are in an open communications mode – the crew can email anyone they want. I think that keeps them a lot happier. I have sent a couple of personal messages to my wife. Allowing personal email is a good idea. A real Mars mission should allow this as well. The people who could be contacted is still to be determined. 

We broke sim this morning to clean up trash blown around by the windstorm yesterday and straighten up the construction materials depot. Looks a lot nicer. Lamont, our Hanksville contact, came by soon afterwards. Poor guy just lost his father. Fortunately for us he’s continuing to help us out. Got lots of gasoline with Lamont assisting Steve. Heather later laid in some foodstuffs. We were running short in several areas. We need a systematic approach for stocking the pantry. Perhaps any crew members driving in from a large city or town could stock up on their way to avoid too many sim breaks. 

The highlight of my day was our EVA this afternoon to a canyon to the east. No one had been there before, yet it was not very far away. I wanted to get my feet wet doing a full sim EVA, using the ATVs. We got out the airlock about 2 pm and headed north on the graded road a couple of klicks, then Troy Wegman (a biologist), our navigator took a GPS reading and headed us toward the canyon, looking for a trail on the map. Navigating on Mars is going to be extremely difficult without a Mars version of the GPS. One field of rocks and boulders will look very much like another, even with good satellite or even balloon photography and maps. Even with GPS we had to stop a few times to take a reading and orient to reach the canyon. I highly recommend that the most cost-effective approach to give Mars explorers the equivalent capability, even if not as accurate. 

Back to the EVA: Troy, Jen Heldmann (a planetary geologist) and I arrived at the canyon rim after about 45 min of ATV travel time. As noted by many others, having something like the ATVs are a necessity for Mars exploration. I could see right away that they give an individual a huge advantage in how much territory can be covered. I adapted pretty quickly to driving the ATV – I like driving anyway so I kept up pretty well. I appreciated the knit caps that Lorraine Bell had obtained for this crew to pad my head against the helmet bouncing around and the extra padding in front of my mouth that Dewey Anderson had installed in this version. Need to get that into the Devon Island helmets. 

An aside on the helmet domes: they are getting scratched rather quickly here. Rock chips from using geology hammers have caused several gouges and the pervasive red dust must be somewhat abrasive to the plastic. I haven’t got an answer to the problem yet. Any ideas on protecting them, but still allowing you to see would be appreciated. Perhaps a strippable plastic cover would work, but getting one to fit the hemispherical dome could be a real trick. 

Anyway, we reached the canyon rim and it was awesome. No Grand Canyon, but beautiful in its own right. It’s the largest this crew has found so far, so I christened it ‘Candor Chasma’ in honor of a large section of Valles Marinaris on Mars. That way if a crew finds a larger canyon here, that name isn’t taken yet. With me counseling caution, we found a way down the canyon wall on foot, even though it was about 80 feet deep. I am surprised at how well you can maneuver in the analog space suits. When properly adjusted, the backpack frame transmits the weight of the backpack to your hips and was not a problem for me. There is a little center of gravity shift, but not bad if you adjust for it. 

We spent quite a while at the bottom of the canyon right where we entered it. Jen took several samples and photos while Troy ranged down the canyon a ways to scout out other promising waypoints. I took a sample or two as well – one looked like igneous rock which is uncommon in most parts here. I also took several film photos with a disposable camera. I haven’t got my digital one going yet and I’ve been scared off by the reports of malfunctioning digitals, probably because of the dust. Jen’s is working if she wipes the dust from around the telescoping lens. It seems we have a Mars analog site that is just a little too real – Martian dust will be just as much a nuisance and probably more so since it has fines down to 1 micron (one millionth of a meter), the size of smoke particles. The space suits are showing lots of dust on them as well, so I’ve instituted a program of vacuuming them off after each EVA, starting today. We’ll see how well it works. 

We soon set off for a slot canyon that Troy discovered further downslope. On the way, I spotted what looked like a bulls eye on a large boulder and we took a photo. We’re still not sure if it was natural or man-made. The slot canyon is about 30-50 feet deep and about 8-10 feet wide with a small bit of meandering. The most notable thing in the slot canyon as well as on other walls of the canyon is the cross-banding of little white stripes of microcrystalline rock. We couldn’t figure out how it came to be there since it crossed the red sandstone layers and tended to do so in the same direction. Perhaps there was dissolution and redeposition of the white rock layers also present into cracks in the red rock. Perhaps Mission Support can figure it out. Troy took some samples of probable endoliths, green layers just under the surface of rocks with black stain on the surface, but said he didn’t find any subliths, organisms living under rocks. 

We traveled quite a ways up the slot canyon and it seemed to go on forever. Troy and I went a bit further and it started to get shallower quickly so I named it the ‘Semi-Infinite Slot Canyon’ since we never did get to the end of it. We found another example of the white layers in a vertical cross layer in the slot. Looks a lot like fracturing and redeposition of some kind is behind it. After more samples and photos, we ran out of time and headed home. The climb up the canyon wall, while steep, went pretty fast and was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I did a little ‘Rocky’ dance at the top to celebrate the climb and the exhilaration I felt. It was a cool feeling. 

We set off for the hab about 4:45 pm, at first following our own tracks. Then Troy veered off on a trail to supposedly get us back to the road faster. However, that trail faded after about 5 min and we had to stop several times en route, taking GPS readings to get a direction to the Hab and work our way around intervening dry river beds and mounds. We passed through a field of scattered igneous rocks on the way. They’re kinda rare in this area. 

Eventually, we worked our way south and saw the Hab to the west of us – what a glorious sight! We had to go a bit further south to get to the graded road, then quickly headed north and got home in plenty of time for supper and well before dark, my biggest concern. My EVA-mates say we were never really lost since we had the GPS and the ATVs have lights, but the terrain has got to be 10 times more difficult to traverse in the dark and it gets really, really dark here. Anyway, all’s well that ends well. We got into the airlock, simulated a pressurization cycle for five minutes and doffed our equipment after the vacuuming. I was elated from the EVA for quite a while, then gradually started getting fatigued at dinner. 

The Mission Support comm link has gone pretty well, except I couldn’t send the audio report (too long a story, don’t ask). Dr. Zubrin says a Denver Post reporter from their Grand Junction office would like to come for a visit early next week. We’ll show her a great time and give her an outstanding story. This is all so much fun I can hardly contain myself. People are hitting the sack earlier tonight. No interest in a movie so I think I’m one of the last one’s up and I’ll get into bed just as soon as I transmit this summary. 

All in all, a fantastic day here on analog Mars! My summary of the lessons learned is to have a good, easy navigating system for getting around on Mars. Gonna be really tough without it. Also, follow you own tracks back home unless there’s a very good reason not to. Good night to all. See you tomorrow, back there on the good Earth. 

===Commander's Check-in Script — MDRS, Feb 15, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
'''Time returned:''' EVA team (Jen, Troy, and Tony) returned about 5:30 pm. Had left about 2 pm. 

'''Crew physical status:''' Good shape. Spirits high. A little tired from long, physical EVA to canyon east of Hab. 

'''Brief narrative of field mission results:''' 

EVA team visited a large canyon to the east of the Hab. Revised plan to accommodate Andy to stay at hab and work on engineering tasks. Tony wanted a shorter EVA so we came up with the alternate trek. It was a good one. Large canyon explored with two waypoints. Named Candor Chasma since it was the largest one found so far. Allows for larger one to be named Valles Marineris later 

Unusual white cross bedding in sandstone walls. Explored slot canyon. Took several rock samples, one potentially igneous. 

'''Plans for next day:''' 

Will do the EVA to do the stratigraphic column work with Andy. Will continue to complete engineering tasks. Have started record of EVAs to be posted in Hab for following crews to add to. 

'''Report transmission schedule:''' All reports planned by 11 pm MST 

'''Maintenance (from checklist):''' 

'''Morning narrative/data/interpretations:''' 

'''Afternoon narrative:''' 

'''Afternoon science data:''' 

'''Afternoon science interpretations:''' 

'''Inventory:''' 

Restocked gasoline and food stuffs. 

'''Miscellaneous? :'''
===Engineering Report — MDRS, Feb 15, 2002, Steve McDaniel, Andy deWet, Heather Chluda===
'''Trash pickup''' 

Partially done; entire crew went off sim to collect wind blown trash downwind of the building supply depot; depot was combed for burnable or trash that needed to be sent to city dump; Lamont is to bring in trailer for crew to load out on Saturday morning 

'''Roof hatch membrane attachment''' 

Done; the rubber cement was used to attach the roof membrane installed by Schubert around the dome hatch; cement was applied as far up the membrane toward the hatch as possible; attachment was made on membrane to membrane surfaces as well as membrane to wood surfaces as needed; folding was required n places to take up the slack; due to the requisite folds and places which did not lay down completely flatly, we applied duct tape around the complete perimeter of the membrane; 1-2 pound iron angles were placed on the glued seams overnight 

'''Installing 2nd circuit line''' 

Partially accomplished; a household gauge three-strand wire was dropped from the breaker box in the hab down through the hab flooring; next steps include making up a junction box to receive each extension wire and to safely connect same to the two drop down household wires; arrangements were made with Lamont to have a local electrician review the connections to ensure a proper installation 

'''Refueling''' 

Done; both 55 gallon drums were used to bring in 100+ gal. of fuel using Lamont’s truck 

'''Flagstaff re-engineering''' 

Partially done; the flagstaff was completely dismasted to allow for installation of a halyard system prior to reinstalling; the system will also allow complete lowering of the flagstaff if necessary 

'''Replace rear hatch missing bolt''' 

Bolts for the top hinge of the rear door were stripped. The weight of the door was concentrated on the middle hinges resulting in slight deformation of the HAB structure. We drilled two holes through the outer wall of the HAB and through one of the vertical metal supports. Two bolts were installed. This method of securing the door hinges is much more durable and stable. We will eventually do the same for the other hinges. 

'''Replace wheel on front hatch''' 

The small swivel support wheel on the front hatch was replaced with a rigid wheel. A piece of smooth fiber glass was placed on the landing to facilitate the easy movement of the wheel. 

'''Install head odor exhaust fan/flu''' 

The holes in the exhaust pipe to be fitted to the Incinolet were cover with tape. The pipe will be installed tomorrow. 

'''Design aesthetic/sound deadening wall''' 

A plan is in progress - using the scrap construction materials, we have devised an engineering assembly plan to accomplish during a full simulation EVA. An acoustic wall barrier is needed to decrease the noise pollution from the generator. Assuming that the new diesel motor is as loud or louder than our existing generator, it is beneficial not to expose the Hab crew to excessive noise. Also, we plan to use the existing sedimentary rock on top of our nearest mound for an aesthetically pleasing rock wall to hide the acoustic wall and the gas barrels, to some extent. It gives a more natural feeling to the landscape if those machines aren’t visible. Keeping in mind, we need to allow enough room for a truck to back in and pick up those barrels and to allow easy access to the generator behind the acoustic wall. A layout of our proposed plan will be sent to mission support for review and suggestions. Our main goal for such a project, is to incorporate not only science EVAs but also engineering EVAs in these crew rotations. Science won’t be the only outside work required. The current crew is quite familiar with the suits and is willing to perform this labor under the space suit constrictions. This project will be video taped for documentation. 

'''Reorganization of EVA foyer/vacuum system''' 

The EVA room was re-organized to allow the EVA crew ample room to remove their space suits. A vacuum hose was set up in the EVA room to remove any excess dust from a hard day of canyon traversing. The organized EVA room system allows for more efficient dressing and undressing. 

===EVA VI Combined Summary, Biology, and Geology Report — MDRS, Feb 15, 2002, Jennifer Heldmann, Tony Muscatello, Troy Wegman===
'''Time:''' approximately 2:00 p.m. to 5:15 PM 

'''General direction:''' East of the HAB 

'''Distance:''' Approximately 2.5 miles one way 

'''Goals:''' route surveillance, general reconnaissance of geology, collection of rock samples, collection of biological samples. 

'''Narrative:''' Today an EVA was planned to the east that would take minimal time and yet yield interesting terrain, as the crew was busy doing maintenance and support activities in the morning. Troy Wegman and Jennifer Heldmann joined Tony Muscatello on his first EVA. We set off north on Lowell Highway at about 2:00 p.m. on ATVs and cut across a heavily vegetated area to meet up with a path we call Cactus Road. We went about another 1.5 miles before cutting off Cactus Road to a large canyon. The canyon had an 80-ft drop from rim to bottom with 40-50 ft walls and narrow canyon walls. Luckily, there was an accessible slope to the bottom, which required careful footwork down the canyon wall. We call this canyon “Candor Chasma”, as it is the largest canyon we have visited so far. There were many new interesting geological findings at this canyon. We only explored two main areas of Candor Chasma, including a passage to the NW we call the “Semi-Infinite Slot Canyon”. We will definitely plan further EVAs to Candor 

Chasma. Also, to the south of Candor Chasma is another large canyon that was inaccessible by our chosen route. Findings from today’s EVA are described below. 

'''Waypoint 53:''' 4251.86 km N, 521.87 km E, Top of Candor Chasma Canyon, Elevation: 4531 ft. 

A photo was taken facing to the east at this location before descending to the bottom. 

'''Waypoint 54:''' 4251.76 km N, 521.91 km E, Bottom and Head of Candor Chasma Canyon, Elevation: 4457 ft. 

A large canyon with an ~80 foot drop from rim to bottom was found at this location. The morphology of the canyon head was similar to the second canyon found at Lith Canyon (with the ~30 foot drop). An upper thick layer of sandstone overlies a softer layer of mudstone which is being undercut. This process causes the remaining sandstone to protrude as large ledges and eventually tumble to the canyon floor creating a large boulder pile on the canyon floor. These boulders are very large with circumferences greater than 5-6 feet. 

The caprock sandstone contains uneven lenses of conglomerate layers. Clasts are poorly sorted and of medium size. The sandstone has large fractures which typically run down the whole length of the rock. These breaks in the rock result in a discontinuous caprock with preferential zones of weakness when the rocks break and fall to the bottom of the canyon. These large cracks also concentrate surface runoff into the canyon because the mudstone underneath these regions is more undercut as evidenced by U-shaped depressions running down the canyon wall. 

The layers below the sandstone are mainly a flaky mudstone, but interspersed at uneven intervals are thin (~2-12 inch thick) layers of harder sandstone (although this sandstone is not a particularly hard sandstone). The mudstone of the canyon walls is unevenly coated with green and red veneers. These coatings are not in horizontal layers as seen at previous waypoints but rather look like runoff remnants from the rim of the canyon. A smaller variety of rock types are present on the canyon floor in comparison with the wide variety of rocks found at the second canyon system in Lith Canyon. However, the Candor Chasma of Waypoint 54 is a much larger and more extensive canyon system than that of Lith Canyon. Samples of the sandstone were collected from Candor Chasma and the site was digitally imaged. 

'''Biology:''' Vegetation was plentiful at the base of the canyon. Lichens were plentiful on large rocks, particularly black in color. Large medium-grain sedimentary sandstone rocks similar to those in Lith Canyon were chiseled to reveal a green endolithic layer underneath. A sample was taken for analysis (#1). A white, flaky, unidentified material inside rocks was found to occasionally contain a green layer. A sample was taken for analysis (#2). Rocks were overturned for hypolith analysis, but no organisms were seen. 

'''Waypoint 55:''' 4251.85 km N, 521.89 km E, Semi-Infinite Slot Canyon, Elevation: 4453 ft. 

This location is located further downstream from the head of Candor Chasma and is reached by traveling through a labyrinth of canyon systems to Semi-Infinite Slot Canyon. Here the walls of the canyon extend ~40 feet vertically up and the canyon is on average ~5-10 feet wide. The walls are composed of a soft mudstone which is more consolidated than the material at the head of the canyon. The canyon walls show horizontal layering and are covered with a thin veneer of red material in most locations (but occasionally a thin green layer is seen). The surface of the walls show thick (several inch) to thin (several mm) continuous lines of white material. Much of this material is parallel to the layered parent material, but some veins are vertical(!) and some cross-cut the strata at 30-45( angles with respect to the horizontal bedding plane. Within a rock wall sample are thin (several mm) veins of the same white material. 

At Waypoint 55, the bottom layers (~2-3 feet thick) of the canyon walls are more undercut than the overlying layers. These undercut layers also show a greater concentration of thin (<~1/2 inch) white veins than the upper strata. These mysterious veins are not always necessarily parallel to the bedding plane of the parent rock. The dip of the crosscutting white material is consistent within an outcrop, but the preferential dip direction of the crosscutting veins is localized. At one outcrop the veins dipped from the west towards the east, but at another outcrop (visible from the same location) the veins dipped from the north towards the south. 

Samples of the white rock were collected and were analyzed in the lab at the Hab. Upon closer inspection than is possible within the confines of the spacesuit while in the field, the white material seen in abundance is most likely gypsum. The horizontal layers of gypsum were deposited as seawater evaporated and left behind the evaporite mineral which was then deposited as a horizontally bedded layer. In contrast, the dipping gypsum layers must have formed after the original horizontal layers were deposited since the angled gypsum layers cross-cut the original bedding. Fractures in the rock would allow groundwater (rich in minerals) to percolate through the rock, leaving behind the gypsum deposits. 

The site was also digitally imaged. 

'''Biology:''' Weeds were not as plentiful in this area of the canyon, although there was one large bush that made it difficult to cross. Animal waste in large quantities was found in this area of the canyon. Identifiable tracks were not visualized. Rocks were broken and overturned for possible biological growth, but none was seen. No water was seen at any area of the canyon. 

'''Waypoint 56:''' 4252.40 km N, 521.03 km E, Turn off to Candor Chasma from Cactus Road, Elevation: 4570 ft. 

This waypoint was marked as a route marker only. Vegetation was plentiful in the area, including cacti, hence the name Cactus Road. 

'''Waypoint 57:''' 4250.52 km N, 519.69 km E, Igneous Field, Elevation: 4530 ft. 

This was a large, flat plain littered with relatively large igneous rocks and boulders. No interesting biology was noted. 

===Daily Log — MDRS, Feb 16, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
Greetings from analog Mars! Today was a bit of a change of pace for me since I didn’t go on this afternoon’s EVA. My major task was to install the new intelligent network hub that Gary Snyder sent with me on Wednesday (which seems like a long time ago now). I was in bed last night at 12:30 again and fell asleep quite a bit easier since all the lights were out this time. My air mattress deflated sometime during the night so the bed seemed a bit hard this morning. Andy de Wet found an extra self-inflating mattress that I think I’ll use instead. May take too long to track down a leak. 

We all did our morning routines and got together for our plan of the day meeting during breakfast. Steve McDaniel prepared a tasty stack of French toast that got us off to a hearty start. Steve had a major task to accomplish this morning – rewiring the Hab power lines to improve their transmission capabilities and to correlate circuits with breakers. Both were done and done very well. Steve is a bit of a modern renaissance man, with degrees biology, genetics, biochemistry, and law. He’s also worked in the construction industry, a good man to have around. Andy assisted with the rewiring and other engineering tasks since he is likely going to be responsible for those items during the next rotation or at least he’ll train the next engineer. 

Heather Chluda, Troy Wegman, and Jen Heldmann worked on their research this morning. Heather also started compiling a list of food items a crewmember from the next crew will have to pick up on their way in. Lamont, our local contact, showed up early this morning and left his truck and trailer so we could load up the trash and construction debris. We broke sim as a group as spent about half an hour to take care of that task. The construction depot looks much better now and there is more room to park cars for crewmembers. This area is hidden from the Hab by hummocks of sandstone. Helps make the illusion of being on Mars better if you don’t look outside and see your car! 

We then prepared Andy, Steve, and Heather for an EVA to the escarpment to the west of the Hab. They got away just fine and came back after about three hours. They had an excellent EVA, finding several carbonate geoids, carbonized petrified wood, ripples marks in sandstone, and mudstone. They took biological samples in progression up the slope and in particular noted white, delicate powdery endolithic formations in what may be organic or salt leachates. There is a possibility of halophiles (salt-loving microorganisms) associated with salt deposits. The whole arena of extremophiles (organisms that live in extreme environmental conditions) is very hot right now, partially stimulated by the possibility that such organisms could survive on Mars. (Tough to keep a train of thought going while sending messages to Mission Support.) The geoids probably formed around a fossil and grew in the carbonate layer in the cliff. For more details, see today’s science report. 

Some observations about today (in no particular order): the vacuuming of space suits before opening the EVA prep work appears to help keep the dust down. You should include vacuuming inside the pockets, which collect a lot of dust. Teamwork is essential for a successful mission. This is so obvious it’s almost laughable, but this crew is a fantastic team. Everyone pitches in without complaint and everyone has a great sense of humor. I didn’t realize I’d be working with such an outstanding group of people. Guess being part of a cause greater than ourselves brings out the best in each of us. 

My lesson learned is to get some help with the CapCOM job of communicating with Mission Support. I can’t keep up with reading all the incoming messages and acknowledging them, sending out reports, and writing my own reports without cutting a lot into sleep time. My networking efforts have paid off somewhat, with the computer left in the Hab by Gary Snyder becoming functional on the network and having Internet access. Moreover, Andy was able to get his computer to work on the network through the same Ethernet connection. Perhaps tomorrow we’ll get the others hooked up as well. More connections in the common work area are more useful than in the staterooms so we’ll move some of them. 

I am really blessed to be here. Much of this is a dream come true – to be contributing to the exploration of Mars, both in my work and in my spare time. I’m sure the rest of the crew feel the same way. Everyone said they’d be ready to go to Mars tomorrow if we could. With enough people like them we’ll be there sooner than most would think possible 

Tony 

===EVA VII and Biology Science Report — MDRS, Feb 16, 2002, Steve McDaniel, Troy Wegman, Heather Chluda===
The biology mission at MDRS was focused on laboratory analysis of both the 14FEB02 and 15FEB02 samples and the exploration of new territory by the EVA team. 

'''Secondary Mission – Laboratory Analysis of Specimens:''' 

Secondary biology mission goals were met today through laboratory analysis of samples returned from the EVAs of 14FEB02 and 15FEB02. These included Waypoint samples 49.1, 51, 52.1, 52.2, 54, and 55. 

'''Sample 49.1:''' This was a small grain conglomerate rock with a green, endolithic layer directly below the surface. Upon a scraping extraction and microscopic visualization at 400X, the sample contained numerous green algal-like cells, many which were clustered together. This is the first sample in which we have found organisms in a conglomerate sample instead of a medium to large grain sandstone sample. POSITIVE 

'''Sample 51:''' This was another endolithic layer found when breaking open sandstone. By scraping extraction and microscopic visualization at 400X, green algal layers were present on mineral deposits. When extracted by crushing the sample, adding water, vortexing, and spinning followed by 400X magnification, numerous brown and green cells similar to algae were found. The brown cells did not look the same as previous samples examined by Steve. The internal structure seen in those samples was absent in these brown cells. POSITIVE 

'''Sample 52.1:''' This water sample was directly examined by wet mount at 400X, and no organisms were seen. NO ORGANISMS SEEN 

'''Sample 52.2:''' This sandstone sample appeared to contain a small, brown-green, endolithic colony upon field collection. Upon direct examination after scraping and visualization at 400X, no organisms were seen. After crushing extraction, no organisms were seen. NO ORGANISMS SEEN 

'''Sample 54:''' This Candor Chasma sample was a medium-grain sedimentary sandstone with a desert varnish layer on its surface. Upon direct examination by scraping, the sample contained numerous green cells representing algae, mostly in pairs of two or three. These have been seen before under the desert varnish layer. POSITIVE 

'''Sample 55:''' This gypsum-like, white, crystallized sample possessed a brown-green haze over its white surface. Upon direct examination by scraping at visualization at 400X, no organisms were seen. Upon crushing extraction, no organisms were seen: however, there may be bacteria present which actually appear more genuine than other suspected bacteria. FURTHER ANALYSIS NEEDED (gram stain) 

To determine if the small, apparently motile particles seen at 400X and 1000X are actually microorganisms (bacteria), two samples not suspected of containing microorganisms were extracted by crushing and subjected to microscopy. In the supernatant layer and soft pellet layer, which we usually analyze and find small particles, small, moving particles were present. Therefore, it is most likely that these are small mineral grains and not bacteria. 

Grinding the samples during crushing extraction can be a challenge. Today, the samples were ground in the inverted top of the microcentrifuge tube with a glass stir rod. This works better than grinding the sample in the bottom of the tube. 

We have almost run out of cover slips and will need to arduously clean these in order to do more microscopy. 

'''Primary Mission – Further Biological and Geological Exploration.''' 

The EVA team (McDaniel, Chluda, deWet) headed due west of the hab to the escarpment comprising the Skyline Rime. The goal was to collect biological/geological samples at the base of the escarpment and up the slope of the scree at the base to the vertical escarpment itself. 

'''Biological and Geological samples were taken as follows:''' 

'''Way Point 59:''' 4251.44 N, 515.48 E Elevation = 4626 ft. Lower portion of scree down from vertical face of escarpment showed samples of sandstone rocks with salt of surfaces. Took samples of rock interior with such salt-like deposits (see discussions above by Wegman regarding potential halophilic bacteria associated with such salt deposits). The top of the cliff comprised resistant flat bedded sandstones. Float samples were examined on the alluvial fan (scree slope). Features evident in the sandstone included ripple marks and carbonized tree fragments. Most of the cliff comprised thin bedded mudstones with a few sandstone layers (between 10 and 200 cm thick). The mudstones are less resistant and erosion has resulted in the 50m? vertical cliff. The mudstones include gypsum layers and gypsum along thin veins. Two rock samples were taken at this location. 

'''Way Point 59:''' Midway between bottom of skree and escarpment face, similar specimen from interior of sandstone rock evidencing salt-like deposits in its interior. 

'''Way Point 59:''' At the juncture between the skree and the vertical face of the escarpment, we took two samples. One was of a piece of mudstone with white fractures and surface features indicative of the face of the escarpment. Another sample was scraped from the surface and represented the typical escarpment surface, which surface seemed to be coated with a thin layer of mud runoff from higher up the escarpment face, and just under the mud layer the strata of the escarpment face. These strata had to chief characteristics – there was substantial white powdery substance that appeared to be leachate (salt?) from the more porous layers, and there were very fine cross-strata veins of a harder white material. The sample taken was chiefly of the strata evidencing the white leachate. 

'''Way Point 60:''' 4251.80 N, 515.12 E Elevation = 4767 ft. Skyline C-shaped rim, north side. This waypoint marks a dead end trying to find an ATV path to the top of skyline rim. 

'''Way Point 61:''' 4252.18 N, 514.75 E Elevation = 4734 ft 

'''''IMPORTANT - Way Point 62:''''' 4253.09 N, 514.75 E Elevation = 4758ft. We noted a very interesting phenomenon on the plains below the Skyline Ridge. Where the mudstone being washed out of the escarpment was clearly the dominant surface soil, there was little or no vegetation. Where the sandstone being washed out of the escarpment was clearly the dominant surface soil, vegetation was present. We also noted that the mudstone was high in gypsum (salt) and likely high in over all salt content. The effect was most striking where large areas of mudstone soil abutted large areas of sandstone soil, and even more striking where these soils abutted one another in a repetitive fashion. We took soil samples of each type as close to one another as distinct sampling allowed (approximately 10-20 feet). These will be subjected to the microbiology assays to determine if there is a similar effect in the microbial life (if any). We are most interested to find if there are any halophilic bacteria in the mudstone soils. 

'''Way Point 63:''' 4253.29 N, 514.77 E Elevation = 4740ft. Mudstone flood soil evidencing white surface leachate (use to test hypothesis that mudstone flood soil is high in salt). 

'''Way Point 64:''' 4253.20 N, 514.96 E Elevation = 4730 ft. Outcrop along shallow gulley. Gray mudstones with gypsum rich layers and scattered radial gypsum nodules. The gypsum nodules were up to 15 cm in diameter. They may have nucleated around organic material (fossils?). Samples of the nodules and the gypsum layers were taken. Mudstones with gypsum layers and veins may represent clastic deposits in subtidal or shallow marine environments (sabkhas). 

'''Way point 65:''' 4252.83 N, 515.41 E Elevation = 4678ft. on Copernicus Highway 

'''Way point 66:''' 4251.45 N, 515.97 E Elevation = 4622ft. Crossroads of Sagan St (East – West road to Skyline Rim) and Copernicus Highway 

'''Way Point 67:''' 4251.46 N, 517.08 E Elevation = 4601 ft. Crossroads of Sagan St (East – West road to Skyline Rim) and Halley’s Highway 

'''Additional Discussions''' (hypothesis McDaniel; commentary by other team members) 

I would like to have a discussion surrounding a combined biological and geological analytical tool to locate H2O (and, microbial surface organisms) on Mars, which analytical tool could be tested in similar environments on Earth. The rationale here stems from the fairly convincing evidence from MGS of martian escarpments showing flooding down from their vertical faces, such flooding being postulated by some to be torrential type flooding caused by an ice plug (i.e., a localized concentration of H2O on the vertical face of an escarpment) erupting. If we could come up with a plausible technique, I would like for the Society to attempt to test the technique in martian analog Earth locations. 

Initially, I am working with the following assumptions: 

Assumption One: Escarpments harbor microbial life on their exposed vertical faces. 

Assumption Two: Microbial life on escarpments will be richest at or near the higher concentrations of surface or near surface H2O (whether that H2O is liquid or frozen). 

Assumption Three: Microbial life found on escarpments will have evolved a mechanism to locate the highest concentrations of H2O on an escarpment and a means to translocate from one such locality to another. 

Assumption Four: For any given location on the surface of a planet at which there are escarpment faces, there will be a face that is preferential for microbial life living on the vertical escarpment face as to the ambient ionizing (lethal) radiation (i.e., look for faces that are the most protected from ionizing radiation). 

Assumption Five: For any given location on the surface of a planet at which there are escarpment faces, there will be a face that is preferential for microbial life living on the vertical escarpment face as to the ambient sunlight necessary for photosynthesis (i.e., look for faces that are most conducive to photosynthesis). 

Assumption Six: For any given location on the surface of a planet at which there are escarpment faces, there will be a face that is preferential for microbial life living on the vertical escarpment face as to the prevailing wind (surface abrading sorts of wind assumed to be least conducive to life). 

Assumption Seven: For any given location on the surface of a planet at which there are escarpment faces, there will be a face that is preferential for microbial life living on the vertical escarpment face as to the average surface temperature wind (surface abrading sorts of wind assumed to be least conducive to life). 

Assumption Eight: Evidence of geological flooding from the face of the escarpment can be distinguished from geological flooding from the plateau area atop the escarpment. 

If these assumptions are correct, then a means of detecting high concentrations of water on the face of an escarpment will give us a means for detecting areas likely to harbor life. The corollary is that a means for detecting high concentrations of life on the face of an escarpment will give us a means for locating water supplies. The refinements of assumptions 4-8 will allow the search protocol to be enhanced for likelihood of success of finding H2O/microbial life on any escarpment. 

These assumptions should be testable if we can find suitable geological and environmental areas of the Earth. Equipment and techniques that work on the earth should be modifiable to work on Mars. In particular, it would be interesting to simply determine the prevalence and distribution of microbial life on a wide variety of escarpments. So, for instance, an equation can be derived that calculates the likelihood of H2O/microbial life at a given location on the face of an escarpment. Higher variable values would be assigned for: 

Geological evidence of water runoff from the locus on the face of the escarpment

Leaching of salts indicative of evaporation of water

Actual H2O

Microbial discoloration of escarpment surfaces

Preferential sun exposure (balancing radiation and photosynthesis)

Preferential wind exposure

Preferential ambient surface temperature 

'''Comments:''' 

'''Heather:''' 

Microorganisms located close to the surface do have a better chance for harboring life while being shielded from the harsh environments. If favorable temperature and water environments are not required for photosynthetic bacteria then we have a better chance to find it in the harsh environments of Antarctica and other planets like Mars. I am amazed at how many living organisms that we have found in this desolate environment and look forward to more research in this area. 

'''Troy:''' 

Microorganisms on earth are varied in their energy, carbon, and reductant sources. If we are trying to correlate life on Mars to life on Earth, some bacteria on earth don’t use water or light at all. Many of these are extremeophiles. Photosynthetic bacteria only belong to the phototrophic group. Also, microorganisms grow at a wide range of temperatures. Isn’t the most likely place to find life on Mars below the surface? 

'''Jennifer:''' 

The Martian gullies are not necessarily the product of torrential flooding. Based on the morphology of the gullies, the flows were probably more conservative. The channels have a well-defined V-shape and typically show branching patterns. The debris aprons don’t have huge boulder deposits but rather have a well-defined structure. Plus the size of the gully is on the order of hundreds of meters across.

Assumption 1: Microbial life would more likely be located in the martian subsurface because of the negative effects of radiation, the dearth of organic molecules on the surface, and the highly oxidizing surficial environment. Also, water at the martian surface is most likely (in recent times) intermittent based on the morphology of some gully heads (and the fact that all observed gullies to date are dry). Some of the gully alcoves appear to have dust-covered, muted morphologies in the center, and fresher morphologies further from the alcove center, implying episodic flow episodes.

Assumption 3: Microbial life on Mars may not have the capability to translocate itself. Instead the microbes may live in localized, isolated ecosystems. Perhaps the colonies were connected in the past when life arose/evolved and then it became separated as the planet lost its water.

Assumption 4: Microbes can’t really be completely shielded from harmful radiation, and if they were then they would be exposed to no incoming solar radiation (and hence extremely low temperatures). Perhaps the organisms could be insulated by the rocks, though, and still shielded from harmful UV. Living below the surface at a certain distance (to balance temperatures and radiation flux) would be a good compromise.

Assumption 5: This contradicts Assumption 4 for reasons discussed above.

Assumption 6: Why exactly is wind a bad thing?

Assumption 7: You mean temp from incident sunlight? 

- What if there is no microbial life on Mars? This assumption is a fundamental tenet of your proposed plan. Perhaps on Mars we should first concentrate on searching for water remotely (i.e. neutron detection—via Lunar Prospector methods) and then look in these locales for microbes. Also, developing these techniques would work well for Earth, but also implicit is the (large) assumption that microbial life on Mars is similar to microbial life on Earth (i.e. uses water (which is highly likely), emits the same gases, same metabolism, etc). 

'''Andy:''' 

There is evidence of recently active (maybe millions or even thousands of years ago) fluid flows on Mars. The fluid is assumed to be water but it could be another liquid (CO2?). The mechanism for this flow is something like sapping. This process results in cliff erosion and the development of flow structures in the sediment. In this process there is no water flow over the top of the escarpment (old craters are preserved on these surfaces indicating they are much older than the surfaces with evidence of water flow in the canyons. Water has a particular spectral response and could be detected using spectroscopy. Vegetation (with chlorophyll) also has a particular spectral signature and could be remotely detected. I suspect that most of the time there is no water ON the cliff faces and that trying to detect water might not be the best way to detect life on the cliff. Also on Mars the life is probably below the surface and thus won’t be detectable directly at the surface. 

===Daily Log — MDRS, Feb 17, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
I’m well into my fourth day on analog Mars and I’m still excited about being here. We stayed up way too late last night watching “End of Days,” a stupid Arnold Schwartznegger Millennium madness movie in which he plays a cop who outwits Satan, who must mate with a human woman so he can take over the world. Satan inhabits a man a few days before the end of 1999, but “Ahnold” stops him at the last minute. Makes you wonder why Satan would wait till the end of the year to find the woman and then run out of time. The movie Satan makes the same mistake that James Bond villains make every time – when you have the hero in your control, just kill him. We know you’re proud of your plan for world domination and want to brag about it, but just kill him. But no, the hero escapes and foils the villain just in time to save the world. I used the time to complete yesterday’s MDRS log while checking out the movie once in a while. 

Everyone was a bit late this morning getting up, but we recovered quickly and had our plan of the day meeting over breakfast and got our act together by 10 am. We decided to get out on EVA asap after breakfast and morning ablutions and did so. The EVA team consisted of Jen Heldmann, Heather Chluda, Troy Wegman, and myself. Steve McDaniel and Andy de Wet stayed behind to complete more Hab maintenance tasks. The Hab is not quite complete, with some details being worked out as we go. By the end of the season in early May, the Hab should be in excellent shape, especially if subsequent crews are as dedicated and talented as this one is and I’m sure they will be. 

We got out of the airlock right at noon and proceeded north on the graded road that runs close to the Hab. Our goal was a canyon to the northeast of the Hab. This canyon has not been visited by MDRS crews yet, so we left with high anticipation of interesting sights and good samples for geological and biological investigation. I wore the new analog space suit that I had brought with me from Denver, to show the contrast in photos between the clean new suit and the used ones. Heather and Jen commented tonight that they are quite used to wearing the suits. They are actually fairly comfortable, if you adjust the backpack properly so the weight is supported by your hips and not your back, as backpackers (which I’m not) will tell you. Otherwise, you are in for a difficult time. 

Before getting on our ATVs Heather and I performed and experiment of my design – how well can you play Ultimate Frisbee in a space suit on Mars? I’ve been playing Ultimate for the last 20 years, so if I ever do get to Mars, I plan to play there too. Heather plays on an Ultimate team as well so we threw the Frisbee around for a few minutes while Steve videotaped us to record this historic moment. I think we completed more passes than we missed even though “going vertical” was out of the question and running was more like trotting at the best. It was a special moment for me and I plan to show that section of my tape to my Ultimate buddies. 

We reached the rim of the canyon after about 45 min of ATV travel time and eventually found a place where we could park the ATVs and walk down the canyon side. The canyon itself is very different from “Candor Chasma” which we visited on Friday. This one is much wider while being about the same depth. It was a beautiful sight in its own right, however, with more of the thinly layered red sandstone that is pervasive east of the Hab interlaced with gypsum deposits. We descended into the canyon at a side branch on a sandy 45 degree slope about 60 vertical feet down. As usual, we went carefully and everyone reached the canyon floor unscathed. Heather, Jen, and Troy immediately set about taking a waypoint setting on the GPS and sampling the rocks. I started feeling a bit like a fifth wheel at this point so I climbed up the other side of the canyon a ways to take a couple of samples Jen said would be useful. This proved to be a bit more difficult than I anticipated since I had to work to regain my balance a couple of times. I managed to take the samples and get back down in one piece. Heather and Troy scouted ahead while Jen and I completed observations of this site. 

At this point, the first of several nagging malfunctions/omissions occurred which led to my name for the canyon, which I’ll reveal in a little bit. Jen’s camera quit working because of dust/sand in the telescoping lens and we left behind the sample bag. She also found a dead bird, which looked like a hawk of some kind to me from the distinctive wing shape. Later on, the camera I had brought on the EVA (one left behind for us by Robert Zubrin) ran out of battery charge. Soon, Heather’s radio battery started fading so she turned it off except for essential communications. Fortunately, Heather got Jen’s camera working again at out next stop so we could record our findings. This gave me the idea to call this canyon (which is labeled “Tank Wash” on the topo map for unknown reasons) Murphy’s Canyon, since everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I also presented the idea of calling it Dead Hawk canyon, but the team liked Murphy’s Canyon better. 

Troy found a fairly thick layer of green on top of a gypsum chunk that he was excited about. Seems this is the most of such material they’ve found. I found a football sized orange rock, but no one thought it meant anything. I also found a small stone with a coating of reddish deposit that was collected. I started feeling a bit more useful at this point. We continued down the canyon floor until we reached a point of discontinuity where the finely bedded material gave way to massive blocks of sandstone. Jen said this may be because deposition of the thin layers occurred in a bay while the thick layers came from deeper water at a later time. 

We headed back at this point, having reached our preset time of departure to allow plenty of time to reach the Hab before dark at 6 pm. We also had set a goal of ending EVAs earlier to get reports done earlier in the evening so we can get to bed at a reasonable hour. It would allow more time to interact with Mission Support as well. Seems like things don’t get rolling until 9pm and their window is supposed to be 7-10 pm. They seemed a little perturbed about the lateness of the reports last night. I can understand, since I was doing Mission Support alone for several nights before I came to the MDRS. 

Climbing out of the canyon was physically challenging, with me winding up huffing and puffing and fogging up most of my faceplate. I had put on a sweater under my suit and that turned out to be a big mistake. It was warmer than I expected and I overheated somewhat. It’d be nice if the backpacks had a “turbo” switch that could increase airflow when exertion levels peaked. Later, during the EVA debriefing, Steve suggested breathing into and out of one of the air inlets when needed to cut down on fogging. I’ll do that next time. I’m still trying to figure out how I wound up on an EVA with three young people who are half my age. (I’ll be 52 this year. Troy is 24 and Heather and Jen just turned 26.) I hope I showed them the old man can keep up. I take heart in knowing that the first commander of the ISS was the same age I am now. I’m thinking a real Mars mission should have a mix of age groups – to get the enthusiasm and energy of youth and the wisdom and caution of their elders. A mix of ages and personality types will make the best crews. All type A go-getters will result in clashes of wills between people used to having their way. All type Bs and almost nothing exciting will get done. As they say, it takes all kinds and in fact, if it didn’t, there wouldn’t be all kinds. 

We did find a way to drive down into the canyon on our way out, at Heather’s request, so future explorers will have an easier time than we did and can go further. It was another great EVA, even with the Murphy’s Law issues. That leads me to my lessons-learned for today: always take extra batteries, extra cameras, and extra anything else that is essential for your mission if you possibly can. Each EVA takes so much prep and travel time, that you’d hate to waste it because of simple things like that. This is not profound, but it’s gotta be done. I’ve also implemented a two-person rule for anything involving hazardous materials or conditions. Yesterday, Troy got some gasoline sprayed on his arm because the drum was pressurized. He was alone and if he had gotten ignited somehow (and the generator is not very far away), it would have been quite a while before anyone noticed him missing. From now on, generator refills have to be done by two people. Electrical work always has been. Again, not profound, but necessary. There will be analogous situations on Mars. There’s no justification for taking stupid chances. 

One more item and I’ll close. I got my first navy shower after the EVA since it was my third day. Dr. Zubrin had instituted a rotation of no shower first day, spit wash second day, and navy shower third day. Talk about the agony and the ecstasy! I turned on the shower and the water stayed cold. It took a lot of gumption, but they won’t let wimps go to Mars, so I got it. Then, miracle of miracles, the water warmed up enough to feel pleasant. It felt good to wash up, especially after being so sweaty, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised that not having a hot, continuous shower every day is not that bad an experience. Perhaps it has something to do with where I am and what I’m doing – which is having a blast exploring analog Mars! I wish everyone else could be here and I wish with all my heart and soul that someone gets to Mars in the next ten years. 

Good night and God bless you all, 

Tony 

===Commander's Check-in Script — MDRS, Feb 17, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
'''Time returned:''' EVA team (Tony, Heather, Jen, and Troy) returned about 5:00 pm. Had left about 12 noon MST. Ten miles total round trip. 

'''Crew physical status:''' The crew remains in high spirits and good humor. Good physical shape. (We’re all tough as nails now.) 

'''Brief narrative of field mission results:''' 

EVA team visited a canyon NE of the Hab. Entered canyon on foot down 60 ft. drop with 45 degree slope. Took several geological and biological samples at several sites. Interesting green endolithic material on gypsum rock. Canyon is much wider and about the same depth as Candor Chasma visited on Friday. 

'''Plans for next day:''' 

Will return to escarpment west of Hab to verify hypothesis that the vegetated/unvegetated areas are due to mudstone with a component that inhibits growth (such as salt) overlain with sandstone that does not. This will be a fairly short EVA on ATVs followed by a walking EVA in the vicinity of the Hab to the north. 

'''Report transmission schedule:''' All reports planned by 11 pm MST 

'''Maintenance (from checklist):''' 

Continued cleanup under Hab and in tool storage area. Cleaned Incinolet receptacle to eliminate buildup. Important to restart after every use to ensure complete incineration. Have gotten two more computers working on the Network, but not at the same time. 

'''Morning narrative/data/interpretations:''' na 

'''Afternoon narrative:''' see above EVA notes. 

'''Afternoon science data:''' see above. 

'''Afternoon science interpretations:''' already sent. 

'''Inventory:''' 

Continued working on list of items for next crew to buy and bring with. 

'''Miscellaneous:''' planning to send journal as well. 

===Engineering Report — MDRS, Feb 17, 2002, Steve McDaniel, Andy deWet===
Today we completed several general maintenance tasks. 

#We refilled the gravity feed clean     water tank. We noted that the outside water tanker is almost empty (50     gallons remaining?) and will need to be filled within a day or so.
#Steve emptied the Incinolet. It was     over full with some material unincinerated. It is clear that with 6 HAB     crew members the Incinolet needs to be cleaned once every 2 days.
#We drained approximately 50 gallons     from the outside gray water storage tank.
#We continued general cleanup of the     workbench and lab area.
#We removed some of the scrap material     from under the HAB and placed it in the ‘materials storage’ area to the     south of the HAB.
#Checked the oil and gasoline in the ATVs.

We completed several other tasks: 

#Removed an Ethernet cable from one of     the bedrooms and installed it in the computer work area. Eventually we     hope to network most of the computers.
#Added a ceiling light in the rear     airlock.
#Using 2x4s and 2x6s we built a cover     on the ground over the electrical cables and gas line that lead out of the     HAB. This cover should prevent these cables from being damaged.
#One of the straps that hold the     greenhouse secure had come loose. We repositioned the strap.
#We added some display boards to the work area that     will track the MDRS crew rotations. This will be helpful to see who     participated in the MDRS and when they were present. Another board     documents the EVAs. A topographic map of the area around the HAB was     mounted on a board and placed on the wall between bedrooms 1 and 2.

===EVA IX Report — MDRS, Feb 17, 2002, Tony Muscatello, Jennifer Heldmann, Troy Wegman, Heather Chluda===
The EVA team (Muscatello, Heldmann, Wegman, and Chluda) headed northeast of the hab to the Tank Wash area. The goal was to collect biological/geological samples in the large canyon area and make observations. Our total EVA time = 12:00 to 5:00pm = 5hrs. Roundtrip distance = 10.2 miles. 

'''GEOLOGY SCIENCE REPORT''' 

''Jennifer Heldmann'' 

'''Waypoint 70''' 

This Waypoint is located at the bottom of the canyon. Massive deposits (~20 feet thick) of sandstone caprocks are on the rim of the canyon. The sandstone doesn’t show much cross-bedding and appears to be relatively pure (i.e. not mixed with much conglomerate as has been seen at previous waypoints). Next in the sequence is thinly bedded green and red mudstones (layers ~1 foot thick) followed by more massive deposits of sandstone, then more mudstone layering. 

There is much evidence of mass wasting in the form of dry debris slopes with rocks and boulders falling down a channel chute and then being deposited in a debris apron at the bottom of the slope. The walls of the canyon have a great deal of slumping material strewn with rocks and boulders down the side, giving the canyon a very jumbled appearance. 

The mud/siltstone boulders at the base of the wall on the channel edge have irregular patterns of gypsum deposits. These layers are relatively thin (<~1/2 inch) and crosscut the rock at various angles, although the layers tend towards the horizontal. The rocks of the canyon wall are covered in a random fashion with green and red mudstone. These veneers are very intermixed and jumbled; the deposits are not in discrete layers as have been seen at previous waypoints. This observation supports the theory of large amounts of rock movement relatively recently in this canyon. Plus much of the wall faces are irregular in shape, owing to the large amount of rock falls and slides. 

The canyon floor is composed of medium grained sand with some larger pebbles strewn on the top of the deposit. The creek bed was dry. 

This site was digitally imaged, and sample of the sandstone caprock and mudstone layers were collected. 

'''Waypoint 74''' 

Thinly bedded strata (on the order of several inches) as seen from Waypoint 15 were observed up-close today. On EVA2 (9Feb02) these intriguing strata were seen from a cliff, but today we were able to successfully descend into the canyon at a more manageable location to observe the rocks. The walls of the canyon are vertical and ~25 feet high. The outcrops are located on a wide wash plain and a small (dry) creek runs through the center. The outcrops seem to be eroding rapidly because at the base are large piles of debris that slid off of the outcrop and accumulated as slump piles. These piles of debris typically extend half-way up the outcrop and ~10 feet laterally away from the outcrop face into the wash plain. The debris piles are mainly red soil but there are also fair amounts of rock and gypsum fragments as well. The angle of the debris slopes is close to the angle of repose since loose material slides very easily. The tops of the outcrops are covered with much unconsolidated debris composed of soil (green and red) and some larger rocks. The slope of this debris is facing towards the canyon walls. There are some concentrations of larger rock slides as well. 

The canyon walls are mainly thin (several inches) beds of various shades of red. There are also a few green layers that are several inches thick interspersed on the order of one foot apart. Thin (few mm) striations of gypsum are present in mainly horizontal layers, although there are some thicker (several inch) bands. There are fewer cross-cutting gypsum bands but these are preferentially dipped in one direction. This dip direction is exactly the opposite on opposite sides of the canyon, but both are facing down-dip towards the canyon as seen by looking at a series of stepwise blocks of the layered walls that extend in box-like shapes into the canyon. Below the outer red flaky veneer of the canyon wall (several mm thick) is a harder, more resistant white rock. It was difficult to obtain an intact sample by chipping with the hammer since I could only scrape the rock into a finer powder to release it from the wall. 

This site was digitally imaged, and a sample of the debris talus at the base of the outcrops was collected. 

'''BIOLOGY SCIENCE REPORT''' 

''Troy Wegman, Heather Chluda'' 

The biology mission at MDRS was focused the exploration of new territory to the NE of the hab by the EVA team. 

'''Primary Mission – Further Biological Exploration.''' 

Biological samples were taken as follows: 

'''Waypoint 71:''' 4254.84 km N, 520.03 km E Elevation = 4428 feet. A very large, medium grain, sedimentary sandstone boulder in the wash bed was chiseled to reveal an endolithic green layer directly below the surface. A sample (#1) was taken. 

'''Waypoint 72:''' 4254.81 km N, 520.10 km E Elevation = 4244 feet. Turning left (East) at the fork in the canyon, a very large, mixed medium grain sandstone and small conglomerate boulder was chiseled at three random areas to reveal red, green, and dark brown/black suspicious spots. The red sample was the most powdery, followed by the brown/black, and the green sample, respectively. 

'''Waypoint 73:''' 4254.64 km N, 520.22 km E Elevation = 4421 feet. 

A large undercut area contained numerous lichens on large sandstone boulders. Also, muddy soil contained black growths suspected to be lichens. A sample of this soil was taken (#3) to compare to other soil samples taken on other EVAs. 

Vegetation in this area and in all areas of the canyon was the most plentiful of any canyon we’ve visited. The soil along the whole canyon had the highest water content of any area we’ve visited, even if standing water was absent. When digging into the soil, a muddy, dark brown surface was exposed. Frozen water was present in certain areas, including icicles underneath the top of the undercut area. The plants were greener than in any other canyon area. 

'''Waypoint 74:''' 4254.91 km N, 520.45 km E Elevation = 4405 feet. At the base of a small wash area, a soft rock was covered with gray and brown dust. Upon chiseling the top of this rock, a white crystal surface was exposed that was similar to that found in Candor Chasma. We believe this white material is gypsum 

(CaSO4 2H2O). In Candor Chasma, a sample was taken in which there was a green-brown haze on the white crystals, and that lab analysis failed to detect any organisms. Here in this canyon, a very distinct, concentrated, green layer characteristic of an endolith was found directly below the surface of the rock. Sections were taken (#4) for lab analysis. Upon further chiseling of the rock near the ground, no distinct green layers were seen. However, the green-brown haze was present in some areas. Also in this area and many other areas of the canyon and Candor Chasma, an orange haze clouded a sample of the gypsum. This is sample #5. 

Other waypoints were taken as location markers only and are as follows: 

'''Waypoint 68:''' 4254.29 km N, 519.42 km E. Elevation = 4537 feet. From the Hab we proceeded to WP 29 which is the crossroads of Lowell Highway and Chluda pass to the West. To the East is Tank Wash which we took today. We traversed through the wash area most of the way and at this location we turned North due to a dead end in the wash to a waterfall drop. 

'''Waypoint 69:''' 4254.82 km N, 519.92 km E. Elevation = 4540 feet. 

We headed northeast to a large side canyon. Here we headed down into the canyon, a 60-foot hike. The total height of the canyon at that point was 88 feet. 

'''Waypoint 70:''' 4254.87 km N, 519.98 km E. Elevation = 4452 feet. 

This was a geological interesting site. White gypsum striations in multi-colored horizontal strata. 

'''Waypoint 75:''' 4255.31 km N, 520.65 km E. Elevation = 4365 feet. 

This was the furthest point in Murphy’s canyon that we went. At this point the canyon splits in two, one side canyon heading north, and the main canyon wash heading southeast. This spot was a transition area from uniform mudstone and sandstone horizontal strata to an unconformity in sandstone erosion. We tested the repeater and it did work. 

'''Waypoint 76:''' 4254.14 km N, 519.66 km E. Elevation = 4480 feet. 

This point is the location of an easy way to get down to the wash in Murphy’s Canyon. Using this road will greatly increase the speed and distance through this canyon. But don’t forget to slow down long enough to take in the beauty and stop to take those samples! 

'''Waypoint 77:''' 4252.17 km N, 519.09 km E. Elevation = 4555 feet. 

This is a location marker for the Cactus Road Turnoff. 

===Daily Log — MDRS, Feb 18, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
Howdy from analog Mars! (We’re out west, so I’m entitled to a greeting like that.) Gonna be brief tonight. Starting to run out of steam tonight. I sent everybody to bed a lot earlier last night except for myself so I expect to sleep well tonight. We’ve finished all our reports except this one fairly early, so we’re watching another ‘Ahnold’ movie – Predator. It’s ten times as good as ‘End of Days’ so I’m paying it a bit more attention. Somehow most of our reports didn’t get through to Mission Support this comm session so we’ll have to regroup tomorrow and resend the ones that didn’t get through. It’s very frustrating since it takes quite a while to upload pictures and audio reports through our satellite dish. Perhaps we can finally get around to fine tuning the dish and get a faster uplink. 

I’ve put myself on an EVA every other day at most, so I stayed in the Hab today and worked on networking my computer (still not successful) and requesting some items from Mission Support. We need an adapter to connect the generator to the Hab so we can put cooking equipment on a separate circuit from the computer area and make it less likely that we trip a circuit breaker if too much power is being drawn. I got responses to this and several other items from Frank Schubert, the MDRS project manager, and Robert Zubrin, the Mars Society president and my predecessor as Mission Commander. We’re running low on water, too, and Frank promised to call our local contact to get us resupplied. The Hab is really in much better shape right now. The crew has really risen to the challenge of straightening up. I admit I told them the old saw about ‘Your mother doesn’t work here.’ They didn’t laugh, out loud at least, but they seem to have taken it to heart. Andy and Steve have done an outstanding job of straightening up the engineering area, tools, etc., so we’re meeting one of my major goals. I’d like to turn over the Hab in good shape to the next commander. 

The rest of the crew got involved in the EVA to one degree or another. A three person team (Andy de Wet, Jen Haldmann, and Steve McDaniel) took ATVs and headed west again to the escarpment to verify Andy’s theory that the unvegetated areas they saw there two days ago were due to an outcrop of mudstone with vegetated areas growing in an overlayer of sand. Their observations confirmed the hypothesis that Andy had come up with after downloading some aerial photographs from the Internet. Seems to me that we need to send either one huge database with a real Mars mission or give the crew some sort of compressed version of the World Wide Web to search for information on their own. The time delay in communications with a Mars Hab would make normal web browsing impossible and the crew could request Mission Support/Control to search for information on a particular topic. Personally, I would find that less than satisfactory because I find that info I run across suggests other avenues of inquiry that I would not have thought of before. Before the advent of the Internet, I had similar experiences looking up chemical abstracts. The titles of the papers I found and the nearby index topics gave me ideas of other subjects to pursue. We shall see how this gets addressed. 

The second part of the EVA consisted of Heather Chluda and Troy Wegman suiting up and joining the others on foot after they returned to the vicinity of the Hab to check out nearby formations, do some photography of the colorful sandstones that surround the Hab, and search for Jurassic period dinosaur fossils and petrified wood that are known to be in the area and they did just that. They got some spectacular photos and located a couple of fist-sized dinosaur bone fragments along with some samples of petrified wood. That left me alone in the Hab and it felt kinda weird, being in here all alone, but it did allow me to get my work done without interruption and to have a little solace. 

Before Troy and Heather went on the EVA, Troy worked in the lab, analyzing rocks for life forms and finding what may be cyanobacteria that he found yesterday in Murphy’s canyon, growing on a chunk of gypsum (calcium sulfate, dihydrate). I think I forgot to mention yesterday that this material consists of very fine, white crystals when broken up with a hammer, resembling snow. It’s really quite pretty. By the way, cyanobacteria are among the very first forms of life on earth and may be representative of life on Mars as well, if its there. We had some interesting discussion about the possibilities of life being found on Mars after the EVA and what affect that would have on the pace of the exploration of Mars by humans. There was quite a bit of debate about that at the Mars Society Conference last summer at Stanford. Some speakers thought we should search the planet for life and if found, we should leave Mars alone, especially if the life were to be of a kind different from that on earth. Only if we found no life should Mars be settled. I think this is an invalid approach, because we can never look everywhere on Mars to be absolutely sure there is nothing alive there. If we find life there, we should definitely take steps to preserve representative samples of it, since it would have to be microscopic and easily stored, but if we take the leave Mars alone approach to its logical conclusion, then we’d have to find an uninhabited world somewhere else in the solar system or elsewhere and abandon the earth, since, after all, the bacteria and algae were here first. 

Meanwhile, Heather had been doing an outstanding job of gathering up all the emails we had received and organizing them in folders on the Habcomm computer. I hadn’t had the time to catalog all that. We’re getting into a good routine here. I expect a real Mars crew would work out which roles they like best and figure out when they would like a change of pace. 

Well, that’s enough for tonight. I just got back inside after escorting Steve to refill the generator gas tank and the night sky was absolutely spectacular! Even though we had a little rain earlier this evening, it’s almost completely clear right now and the sky is full of stars. The Milky Way is clearly visible overhead, with Orion the Hunter in the southwest, starting to set. I didn’t see Mars, but Jupiter is still quite bright and there is no moon out. I spent a few minutes looking up with my flashlight turned off to enjoy the view. I even saw a little meteor heading north at the zenith. I though of our ancestors and how they had a view of the sky like this almost every night (except in Seattle, of course) and I understood how they came to put so much importance in the sky, with the constellations becoming gods. There are so many stars, you can’t help but believe there must be some information, some message in them for us to divine. Astrology is looked down upon by the scientific community, but you gotta acknowledge that the astrologers got astronomy going and at least they were trying to understand the universe, as we are today. 

I also just got word that we will have visitors tomorrow, a reporter from the Grand Junction bureau of the Denver Post and her photographer. They’ll be here fairly early, so we’ll be ready and give them a great show. 

Good night to everyone. Having a great time. Wish you were here. 

===EVA X Report — MDRS, Feb 18, 2002, Heather Chluda, Andy De Wet, Jennifer Heldmann, Steve McDaniel, Troy Wegman===
'''Narrative''' 

Today’s EVA consisted of two components. EVA Team 1 (Andy De Wet, Jennifer Heldmann, and Steve McDaniel) returned to Skyline Rim for additional sample collecting. After this task was completed EVA Team 2 (Heather Chluda and Troy Wegman) joined EVA Team 1 for a nearby reconnaissance of the Hab area and fossil hunt. 

'''EVA Component I''' 

EVA Team 1 left the Hab airlock at 12:10pm for an ATV EVA to Skyline Rim. This site was originally visited on 16Feb02, and because of its scientific merit was revisited for additional sample collecting. During EVA 8 an interesting phenomenon was noted in that the vegetation near the base of the Rim is present on the sandstone soils but is absent on the mudstone washout deposit. These two types of deposits are juxtaposed and alternate in bands laterally extending away from the canyon. This initial observation of alternating deposits was confirmed through analysis of aerial photography once the crew had returned to the Hab, and the sharp dichotomy of vegetation versus barren land (which correlates precisely with the dichotomy in soil types) became more intriguing. Hence a second EVA to this site was conducted. 

Today EVA Team 1 returned to the Skyline Rim and examined the vegetation and soil types more closely. Many digital images were obtained, and samples of the soils were collected. It was observed that the vegetation only extended into the mudstone deposits via small (several inch deep) channels where water flows during runoff events. Therefore the crew suggests several hypotheses - that the limiting factor in vegetation growth at this locale is: the availability of water which is most likely intricately connected to the soil porosity; toxic concentrations of salts in the mudstone except where leached out such as along water channels; pH differentials. 

'''EVA Component II''' 

Upon completion of EVA Component I, EVA Team 1 returned to the Hab vicinity for rendezvous with EVA Team 2 at the next site of exploration. The Teams met at the red mounds north of the Hab and scoured the area for fossils for a couple of hours. The crew had some successful finds as small (fist sized) dinosaur bones were discovered at several locations within the hills. 

===Biology Report — MDRS, Feb 18, 2002, Troy Wegman===
Today a document was created that outlines the operation and maintenance of the biology lab, including microscope use and care, garbage, sterility issues, and sample preservation. This file will be located in the MDRS folder on the main hab computer. It is expected that the new biology crew will read this before working in the lab and make revisions to it as necessary. 

'''Secondary Mission – Laboratory Analysis of Specimens''' 

Samples from Waypoint 59 and 74 were analyzed by microscopy today, and images were taken. Waypoint 59 sample was a black rock from the scree of the escarpment of Skyline Rim and had white crystals on its surface. Waypoint 74 sample was from the canyon area to the NE of the hab, which was visited yesterday. This sample was a white gypsum sample covered with brown and gray dust that was chiseled to reveal a green endolithic layer beneath the surface. 

Since the samples were salt-like, they were scraped off with a pin onto a slide containing a drop of 100% glycerol and mixed thoroughly to break up any large pieces. For 74, green crystals were scraped, and for 59, crystals near the rock surface were scraped. The samples were viewed under 400X and occasionally 1000X. 

'''Waypoint 59 sample:''' See picture. This sample contained many salt crystals. Under 400X , some of the salt crystals had very small, green, rod-like chains resembling bacteria (in size) dispersed throughout a brown tainted crystal. The brown color may be an organism, but no distinct structure was observed today. Even though these organisms are hard to visualize, clearly some crystals did not contain any of these green chains. We do not know the composition of the salt, but we can presume it is gypsum, which is common in the Hanksville, UT area. POSITIVE: HALOPHILIC ORGANISMS. 

'''Waypoint 74 sample:''' See picture . At 400X, cells (averaging ~30 um) were present in this sample. They had a green external wall and a yellow interior. There were green structures within the yellow interior, some round and some rod-like. The size of the cells varied in this sample, which are probably algal cells. The sample also contained chains of green oval cells that were sometimes intermixed with the large yellow-green cells. These green oval chains were attached to and possibly contained within the gypsum crystals. They appear to anchor the large yellow-green cells to the gypsum crystals. These don’t look like fungi. They may be another type of algae or a cyanobacterium. These organisms are growing on the gypsum (calcium sulfate hydrate) directly below the surface of the rock. POSITIVE: HALOPHILIC, ENDOLITHIC ORGANISMS. 

===Engineering Report — MDRS, Feb 18, 2002, Steve McDaniel, Andy deWet===
'''Generator''' 

Clean spark plug, check air filter, fill oil, restart 

'''Stair repair''' 

Replace broken stair; re-enforce each stair step with short blocks on either side of each step 

===Commander's Check-in Script — MDRS, Feb 19, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
'''Time returned:''' EVA Team left at 12:15 pm MST (Andy, Jen, Heather and Tony) and returned to the Hab at 1:45 pm. The primary purpose of the EVA was to demostrate the EVA process for Nancy Lofholm, a reporter for the Denver Post Grand Junction office and Sean, her photographer. They arrived about 11 am and we gave them an tour of the interior of the Hab. They spoke with each crew member about their work. They appeared to be interested in all our activities and getting humans to Mars. Nancy took many pages of notes and Sean took lots and lots of pictures. We look forward to her article, which will be published in all editions of the Denver Post. The EVA was on foot to the hills west of the Hab. 

'''Crew physical status:''' The crew is in outstanding physical condition with the possible exception of Heather Chluda, who has developed a couple of bruises from her fall on the steps yesterday. Crew morale is outstanding. This is a fantastic group! 

'''Brief narrative of field mission results:''' The EVA Team climbed up the hills noting the geological sequence and found a few dinosaur bone fragment fossils. The team found worm tunnel fossils in the sedimentary rock in this sequence from the Jurassic Age. 

'''Plans for next day:''' The entire crew will participate in building a rock wall to block the view of the generator and gasoline drums from the Hab and an wooden acoustic wall to minimize the noise from the generator. The construction will start in sim, using suits for photo ops and will be completed out of sim to save time. 

'''Report transmission schedule:''' All reports planned by 11 pm MST 

'''Maintenance:''' Andy: erected the flag on a mount on the ground next to the Hab, installed more effective suit racks and another shelf in the EVA room, and fabricated a landing and stairs for the back airlock. Steve and Tony: adjusted the Starband polarity to zero degrees and reinstalled the wooden donut around the top hatch. The internet link appears to be somewhat faster, but no quantitative measurements before and after the adjustment were made. Lamont refilled the water tank with 400 gallons. Andy refilled the interior tank. 

'''EVA narrative/data/interpretations:''' See above brief narrative. Also see biology report for interesting results on samples previously collected – positive results for phosphate hydrolyzing hydrolase enzyme from endoliths. 

'''Inventory:''' Transmitted shopping list to new crewmembers driving in from San Francisco area. 

'''Miscellaneous:''' MDRS journal will be transmitted. 

===Daily Log — MDRS, Feb 19, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
Well, I’ve run out of different ways to say hello, so Hello! We had a very productive day here today on analog Mars, with lots of different tasks accomplished, both inside the Hab and out. The highlight of our day was a visit from a Denver Post reporter, Nancy Lofholm, from their Grand Junction office and her photographer, Shaun Stanley. They were to arrive at 9:30 am, but didn’t make it until 11:00. The weather was very foggy and icy this morning and they had a hard time finding the Hab, as I did when I got here last week. We are truly isolated out here, so if you don’t have a GPS or exact directions, it’s very hard to pick up the dirt road and the subsequent cutoff to the Hab. 

Anyway, they had to get going early in the afternoon so we gave them a whirlwind tour of the Hab and did a short walking EVA to the hills west of the Hab to illustrate how we suit up and explore. Nancy and Shaun showed a lot of interest in our work and spoke with each crewmember. Troy Wegman and Steve are doing some potentially commercially valuable work looking for endoliths (microorganisms that live inside rocks) that produce enzymes that degrade organophosphorus compounds such as pesticides and nerve gas. This is really exciting stuff! It would be outstanding if we came up with a breakthrough technology such as this. They had a potentially active response to their test today! Really shows that research projects such as this have spinoff benefits that no one could anticipate. 

During the EVA, Andy de Wet looked primarily for fossils in this Jurassic age sandstone in which we are located and found a wormhole fossil and some potential dinosaur bone fragments. Heather Chluda and Jen Heldmann checked out the geology and looked for fossils as well. I mostly stayed with Nancy and gave her an earful of humans to Mars. Funniest part was when I had to stop talking to catch my breath inside the helmet. I was talking to her mostly without using the radio (we gave her and Shaun each a radio so they could follow our discussions and ask questions). As a result, I wound up taxing the air input of the suit. The neat thing is that talking to someone else close by in a spacesuit on Mars without a radio is entirely within the simulation, because the thin atmosphere is still thick enough to conduct sound. I know this for a fact since we have conducted balloon experiments at Pioneer Astronautics, where I’ve worked for the past year, at altitudes over 100,000 feet, where the atmospheric pressure is the same as on the surface of Mars. The videotape cameras we send along clearly record the sound of the balloon popping at that altitude, the whistling of the wind, and the clattering of the equipment on the experiment string as it descends. Cool! (To me at least.) 

Nancy and Shaun stayed almost an hour longer than they had originally planned, which I took to mean that the liked what they were seeing and hearing. Shaun must have taken dozens of pictures and Nancy had almost as many pages of notes. Steve says you can never tell what part of the story the reporter will tell, but I fully expect that Nancy will give us some very good press. Be on the lookout for it. It will be in all the editions of the Denver Post since they don’t have regional versions. Nancy’s favorite question of the crew was “Do you want to go to Mars yourself?” to which everybody said yes, in one form or another. Some would say our chances are not very good, but you never know, miracles do happen, and this particular crew has a week or two of experience in living and working in a simulated Mars habitat. That’s something only a handful of people in the whole world can claim on their resumes (the two dozen at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island last summer and the dozen or so that have been in the sim here at MDRS so far. I personally would recommend each and everyone of this crew for a Mars mission. They have all been as good-natured, talented, and hard-working as any group of people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. 

Well, enough of patting ourselves on the back except for one more important fact – this crew has done an outstanding job of cleaning up and straightening up the Hab and its surroundings. The interior of the Hab is very neat and orderly and has the appearance of being bigger inside than when we first arrived. We’ve tossed out useless items, organized up the others, and put away everything we could. Andy reorganized the EVA prep room today, putting up a 2x4 and new hooks so we now have a numbered hook for each space suit, another shelf for storing boots, and numbered positions for helmet storage. On top of that, he built a landing and steps for the rear hatch. Before all that, he found a way to mount the Mars flag in the ground next to the Hab. (We had taken it off the roof during the windstorm we had a few days ago and we wanted it back up for our visitors.) In addition, he drafted a Hab operations manual that I edited. The guy is amazingly multitalented and self-motivated. 

Meanwhile, Steve got out on the roof and with my direction adjusted the polarization of the Starband antenna as requested by Gary Snyder and Mark Caviezel. The good news is that we still have an Internet connection and it may be faster. Steve also replaced the structure around the ceiling hatch. I put down some warning tape on an overhang from the attic that we’re concerned will not hold a person’s full weight. Steve spent most of the day before and after these distractions I gave him doing lots of lab work with Troy. They’ve made a lot of progress in testing and microscopy of the biological samples they’ve collected. Amazing! All this engineering work and science, too! It’s mind boggling how much the work here at MDRS parallels what you’d have to do on a Mars mission – not exactly the same tasks necessarily, but you’d have to make sure your habitat on Mars continued to run smoothly and was properly maintained. After all, your life would depend on it, and no one has yet designed and built a machine that doesn’t need maintenance and never breaks. 

Heather focused on finalizing the waypoint database after the EVA. Jen worked on transferring her photos and other data the Habcomm computer so the following crews will have the benefit of all that info, a frustrating job since she had to copy stuff to a floppy disk and then copy from floppy to Habcomm. We sure do need that network to come up to speed. We have a couple of computers working on it, but not everybody yet. Jen and Heather both put in lots of time on the Habcomm checking out emails from Mission Support and incoming crewmembers. Sure helps me out a lot. The thought that my rotation comes to an end day after tomorrow almost makes me sad. I have had such a wonderful time here and enjoyed the company of these incredibly talented people. I’m sure astronauts on Mars would start feeling the same way when the day approached for earth return launch, even though they’ve been there for a year-and-a-half. I’ll bet they would come to love the beauty and solitude of Mars just as much or more as we have grown to love analog Mars. As I looked out at this alien terrain both on the EVA and then through the top hatch today, the incredibly gorgeous landscape here captured my heart. I think I could just sit on a hilltop and just gaze at it for hours. Even if I never get to Mars myself, I will have had this fantastic experience of living on analog Mars. I’m ready to come back any time the Mars Society wants me to and I can arrange my work and personal life to accommodate it. I highly recommend the experience to all who are interested. 

It’s time to wrap this puppy up for tonight. It’s been another wonderful day on analog Mars, one more full day to go. Tomorrow we will build a rock wall to hide the generator and the gas drums and a wooden acoustic wall to cut down on the generator noise inside the Hab. We will start the wall with some people in space suits to simulate such an operation on Mars and to get photos. I don’t know if any early expeditions will build a rock wall, but there are plans that require the crew to fill sand bags with soil and place them on top of the habitat to increase the radiation shielding. We don’t have to do that, so we’ll get in our heavy lifting making the wall. Incredibly (to me), a couple of crew members were complaining that they weren’t getting enough exercise, so I will assign them the task of starting the wall in suits. I noted that you get lots of exercise just walking around in the extra 30 pounds or so of space suit and backpacks, but that wasn’t “the kind of exercise they were talking about.” It’s good to be the commander. 

Good night everybody. I’ll send out my final journal report tomorrow evening. 

Tony 

===Biology Report — MDRS, Feb 19, 2002, Troy Wegman===
'''Secondary Mission-Laboratory Analysis of Specimens''' 

The Waypoint 74 #5 sample was analyzed by microscopy today, and images were taken. Waypoint 74 was the canyon area to the NE of the hab, which was visited on Feb 17. This sample was an orange tinted gypsum sample with no obvious lithic biological growth. 

The sample was salt-like and was scraped off with a razor blade onto a slide containing a drop of 100% glycerol and mixed thoroughly to break up any large pieces. The sample was viewed under 400X magnification. 

This sample was a gypsum salt rock. Under 400X, green chains resembling bacteria (in size and shape) were dispersed throughout the gypsum crystals. Some crystals didn’t possess any organisms. These organisms are similar to what was found in the Waypoint 59 sample yesterday. The Waypoint 59 sample was a rock covered with salt crystals. It is important to note that organisms were found in the Waypoint 74 #5 gypsum rock even though no visible green growth was apparent like that of the previously analyzed Waypoint 74 #4 gypsum rock sample and other rock samples. POSITIVE: HALOPHILIC, ENDOLITHIC ORGANISMS. 

Also today, samples were organized for the next crew and extracted and aliquotted for additional secondary and tertiary mission analysis. The gram stain reagents arrived in the afternoon. With no culturing capability, we are trying to use any techniques possible to characterize these organisms, keeping in mind that cyanobacteria are gram negative. Gram stains were performed on the following samples: Waypoint 59, Waypoint 74 #4, Waypoint 74 #5, and Waypoint 54 #2. These samples were chosen because they were positive for organisms. Gram stain analysis is inconclusive and needs to be repeated. Without culturing the organisms, it is likely that the number of organisms is too few for the stain to be useful. However, this should not deter future crews from using the stain. 

===Engineering Report — MDRS, Feb 19, 2002, Tony Muscatello for Andy de Wet and Steve McDaniel===
Andy: erected the flag on a mount on the ground next to the Hab, installed more effective suit racks and another shelf in the EVA room, and fabricated and installed a landing and stairs for the back airlock. 

Steve and Tony: adjusted the Starband polarity to zero degrees and reinstalled the wooden donut around the inside top hatch. The Internet link appears to be somewhat faster, but no quantitative measurements before and after the adjustment were made. Installed a warning strip not to walk on overhang from attic because of concern about its ability to support a person’s full weight. 

Steve: Repaired two stools used in lab. 

Lamont refilled the water tank with 400 gallons. Andy refilled the interior tank. 

'''Total Water Usage Record''' 

Average Daily Use = 296/13 = 22.8 gal./day or 3.8 gal./person/day 

===Commander's Check-in Script — MDRS, Feb 20, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
'''Time returned:''' EVA Team left airlock at 12:00 pm MST (Jen, Heather and Steve) and returned to the Hab at 1:30 pm. The primary purpose of the final Rotation 2 EVA was to do part of the rock wall and acoustic wall construction in full suit gear to show such work is possible and to allow photo/movie opportunities. The EVA was on foot with the use of ATVs to haul rocks in the wash 100 feet north-northwest of the Hab. 

'''Crew physical status:''' The crew is in excellent physical condition with everyone getting lots of good physical exercise during the acoustic wall and rock wall construction. Crew morale remains high in anticipation of Steve’s Mexican food dinner! 

'''Brief narrative of field mission results:''' The EVA Team successfully demonstrated the capability to do difficult physical labor while in space suits. Although the majority of the construction of the walls was accomplished by the whole crew out of sim, the EVA Team was able to do the same kind of work within the sim. 

'''Plans for next day:''' Tomorrow is crew change over. Andy de Wet will be staying on with the new crew. I will discuss EVA opportunities with him and the current crew to present an option to the new commander. 

'''Report transmission schedule:''' All reports planned by 11 pm MST 

'''Maintenance:''' In addition to the installation of the walls, Andy dug out soil to lower steps at rear hatch and built up soil landing to improve step down heights. Steve fabricated a holder for the gas siphon. Heather and Steve completed a trash cleanup around the generator. Andy performed a fire safety update, locating fire extinguishers, fire escape routes, positioning the escape ladder, and positioning ropes for backup escape routes. He incorporated the information in the Hab operating procedures. 

'''EVA narrative/data/interpretations:''' See above brief narrative. Also see Troy’s summary biology report for this rotation. 

'''Inventory:''' The incoming crew report they have obtained about 80% of the list we sent Monday night. 

'''Miscellaneous:''' MDRS journal will be transmitted once complete. 

===Daily Log — MDRS, Feb 20, 2002, Tony Muscatello===
Well, here it is, my last night in the Hab until who knows when. This has been the most thoroughly enjoyable experience in my life. It has had it challenges, keeping our activities organized and in a productive direction, but the crew is an outstanding one, helping me out all the way. We’ve discussed offering our services to the Mars Society to start up operations in future Habs, such as the EuroHab (although the competition will be tough from the terrific people in the European chapters) and the Australian Hab (similar situation). It’s going to be hard for other teams to match the varied talents and experience of this crew, however – geology, biology, planetary geology, aerospace engineering, law, construction, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, in situ resource utilization, organizational skills, negotiating savvy, Mission Support experience, photography, computer skills and just plain good humor. 

We all worked very hard today, with Heather and Steve getting an early start in building a wooden acoustic wall (named Frank, after Frank Schubert, who requested it) to reduce the noise of the generator. Heather designed the wall, taking into account the materials we have on hand – just as humans on Mars will one day. She and Steve put it together remarkably fast and were ready for the rest of us to come out and start building the esthetic rock wall (named Floyd, after Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”), to block the view of the gasoline drums and gas cans needed to keep the generator going. The walls were started out of sim to get things going faster and the plan was to put some people in space suits to demonstrate that the construction could be done with that restriction and to get some good pictures and movies. 

This all went according to plan, with Heather, Jen, and Steve suiting up for an hour or so to do essential tasks for both walls. It took moving a lot of rock, both by hand and on the ATVs to build the wall, which wound up about 15 feet long and 3-1/2 feet high. It does a great job of blocking the drums and the associated equipment. Now if we could only do something about the propane gas tank (perhaps label it as the fuel tank, which it is) and the rusty old water tank (paint it and label it dihydrogen oxide, which it is, but you’d never store your water outside like that on Mars; it would freeze solid). Those tasks are for future crews. The acoustic wall also does a fabulous job of muffling the generator noise. You can barely hear the generator running now, if at all. In fact, we simply forgot about it tonight and ran it dry. Andy and Steve quickly refilled it and got it going again. 

I consider building the rock wall our first terraforming project here at the MDRS. It is our first large scale project to modify the environment of the Hab to suit our purposes instead of adapting to the environment. Perhaps it’s not all that significant, but I’m going to bang the drum a bit here for the eventual terraforming of Mars. (In case you don’t know, terraforming Mars means altering the climate and other aspects of Mars to make it more earthlike, such as raising the temperature and air pressure so that water would be freed from the regolith and poles and exist in a liquid form. This can be accomplished in several ways, the most feasible being the manufacturing of industrial amounts of supergreenhouse gases such as fluorocarbons.) There has been a lot of debate over the past few years at Mars Society conferences about the morality of terraforming Mars, especially if there is indigenous life there. Like I’ve mentioned before, these arguments don’t hold up to logic and common sense. Applying the same line of thinking to humans living on the earth leads to the conclusion that we should move everyone to the nearest planet with no life forms of any kind, including microorganisms, since we have violated the rights of any form of life that happened to exist before humans. 

You could also say that we shouldn’t use antibiotics because that results in the slaughter of billions of microbes. Look, humans have been terraforming the earth to suit our needs since we invented tools and tamed fire. We do what we must to survive and make our lives better. Again, applying the same reasoning used by those who say we must leave Mars alone, means that we should all pack our bags and move back to Africa, where we all got started, if they are willing to concede that we have a right to exist at all and Africa is where we arose naturally. I’m all for natural things, although some natural things can kill you very swiftly – say a lion on the savannahs of Africa if you don’t have any weapons or a vehicle like our ancestors. I’m all in favor of preserving the environment, both for its beauty and because we cannot survive without it for very long or in large numbers. We should minimize our impact on the environment, but if humans exist at all, we impact the environment. The key is to be intelligent about it and don’t needlessly pollute or do things that are irreversible. However, it makes no sense to say we have no right to go to Mars and do anything other than look for life and explore Mars for purely scientific purposes. We have just as much right to go to Mars as our ancestors did to leave Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago and started modifying their environments by hunting, gathering, building fires, making shelter, and eventually, farming and gathering in cities. 

To say we shouldn’t do that is to deny an essential part of our humanity. You might as well say that bees and ants should all be exterminated because they build their homes by disturbing the environment. Some may argue that bees and ants provide a service to the earth by pollinating flowers and tilling the soil and that is true. But humans can provide a service to the earth by making wonderful things such as the best aspects of our cities – some buildings are beautiful works of art – and gardens and landscaping add to the variety and beauty of the earth as well. Yes of course there are negative aspects of the human presence on earth, but it’s the old question of is the glass half-empty or half-full. Both are true; it’s just a matter of where you focus your attention. I prefer to focus my attention on the positive aspects of human life and human potential. 

Mars is our next step. Terraforming Mars, after a thorough investigation of its secrets and its potential for life, is just as natural as anything that humans have done on earth. It will take a long time to terraform Mars, although I feel it won’t take as long as most believe, so there will be plenty of time to experience Mars the way it is today and record it. Some parts of Mars, the tops of the highest volcanoes, will never be terraformed because they will stick up above the atmosphere and be preserved as they are now. Besides, there are probably billions of cold, dry worlds out there in the universe similar to Mars. Anyone who wishes to preserve them is encouraged to develop near-light speed or faster-than-light speed space travel to visit them and make sure no other humans come near them. In the meantime, Mars will be enriched by the presence of humans. We will warm up Mars, create forests and savannahs that will rival and exceed the beauty of those on earth, and eventually create new oceans full of life and color and diversity unknown here. 

One more paragraph of proselytizing and I really must wrap up for this evening. If there is anyone reading these words and find that that strike a cord within you, join the Mars Society. If you are already a member, give of your time and resources (i.e. money) to our cause. This is your chance to be part of a fantastic moment in history during which humans will become a multiplanet species and begin our trek to the stars (forgive the reference). We are the only reservoir of intelligence that we know of in this galaxy and the whole universe. It is our nature to explore and it is the way we create. We can choose to expand our range or we can choose to stay here on the earth, and eventually die out like 99% of the species that have ever existed on the earth. It may be slowly over thousands of years because of the depletion of resources or good ideas or it may be suddenly due to a large asteroid or comet the way the dinosaurs did, but it will happen. Our ancestors chose to move out, to see what lay past the next mountain or river or ocean, and because of that choice, we are the most successful species that has ever existed on the earth. We occupy every inhabitable ecosystem there is. Mars can eventually be an inhabitable planet where our descendents can live fantastic lives and develop the technologies and skills we will need to continue to move out to other places in the solar system, then to the nearest stars. Sure there will be problems and heartbreaks that they will encounter, but it’s all a part of being human. We are a remarkable species, you know, the only one on earth that can consciously create its own destiny. Help create a future for humanity. Help us take the first step. Help us get humans to Mars. We really don’t have forever. 

This will be my last log entry for the MDRS Rotation 2. Tomorrow I return to Denver, where I live with my wife and four children and I will return to work developing technologies that can help us get to Mars and back. I have greatly enjoyed writing these logs and I hope that you have enjoyed reading them, at least a little bit. They’ve all come out longer that I thought they would, but the events here at the MDRS deserve recording in some detail. I feel like we are doing something very significant and important here. I hope you share my feelings. It has been an honor and a privilege serving as the commander of the Mars Desert Research Station with finest crew that anyone could imagine. I hope to see them all again at the Mars Society Conference in August in Boulder, CO. We plan to present our experiences here at the MDRS at the conference. Please look me up if you’re there. Also, we always need good people to help with Mission Support for both the MDRS and the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS). You can contact me at � HYPERLINK "<nowiki>mailto:Tony.Muscatello@pioneerastro.com</nowiki>" �Tony.Muscatello@pioneerastro.com�. Please be patient if you don’t get an answer right away. I get lots of emails and it takes time to work through them. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my logs and being interested in this wonderful undertaking. Bless you for being here on the earth. I hope the crew or anyone else forgives me for anything important that I’ve left out. I’ve done my best. 

On to Mars! Tony 

===Geology Report — MDRS, Feb 20, 2002, Jennifer Heldmann===

'''Summary''' 

During the first rotation at the MDRS (February 7-21, 2002), a great deal of the geology surrounding the Hab has been explored and documented. Since the terrain at our martian landing site was entirely new, each EVA targeted a specific type of region for intense geologic examination. Sites varied in terms of geologic setting including (but not limited to) canyons, plains, wash areas, hills, channel beds, etc. to get a broad overview of the various surroundings. Locations studied in detail were marked as Waypoints (using the GPS to get exact location coordinates), and the site was described in terms of large scale landform features as well as small scale rock characteristics. Each site was characterized via sample collection, digital imaging, and a narrative description which are documented in individual text files sorted by Waypoint. These files are reproduced below. Samples are stored in the MDRS laboratory, and all digital images are stored on the Habcomm computer in the ‘Geology’ folder. This initial reconnaissance of the surrounding terrain gives a fairly comprehensive representation of the various environments available for study, and future MDRS crews should use this information for planning more targeted studies in various areas depending on the scientific goals of their mission. 

This initial geologic survey clearly shows that the land surrounding the MDRS Hab was once a shallow marine environment. The rocks are almost exclusively sedimentary, indicating deposition in a fluvial environment. The few igneous rocks that have been found originated in the nearby Henry Mountains (These mountains are laccoliths, meaning that the mountains were formed as igneous intrusions which caused the overlying sedimentary layers to rise and dome up over the intruding magma. Eventually the sedimentary layers eroded away, and now exposed igneous rock is eroded and allowed to be transported to lower elevations throughout the region). 

Undoubtedly sandstones and conglomerates are the dominant rock types. Both of these rock types indicate past water activity in the region. A shallow sea must have once covered the area for the deposition of the relatively thick layers of these rock types. The waters were not always quiescent, however, as dramatically evidenced by some of the conglomerate outcrops. Some of the clasts cemented into the rock at certain Waypoints are rather large (up to several inches in diameter) which indicates that the water must have been moving at significant velocities to transport such large particles. 

The presence of large amounts of gypsum in the canyons also attests to the presence of a former sea. As the waters evaporated, the gypsum layers were left as deposits. Horizontal and cross-cutting gypsum layers have been discovered, and the widespread nature of such deposits attests to the extent of the past sea. 

Fossil findings also indicate a past marine environment. The tremendous amount of mollusk shells found in several ‘fossil fields’ as well as the ammonite shell found at Lith Canyon require a past marine environment. Therefore the overall general past geologic history of the region has been determined, and sites of interest can be examined by future crews. 

'''WP 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45 (Lith Canyon)'''

Visited 2/13/02 

'''Waypoint 38''' 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 38.1

Sandstone collected from the head of the canyon. 

'''Images''' 

(layering1(wp38).jpg: Uneven layering of conglomerate and sandstone

(layering2(wp38).jpg: Uneven layering of conglomerate and sandstone

(layering3(wp38).jpg: Uneven layering of conglomerate and sandstone

(layering4(wp38).jpg: Uneven layering of conglomerate and sandstone

(layering5(wp38).jpg: Uneven layering of conglomerate and sandstone

(layering6(wp38).jpg: Uneven layering of conglomerate and sandstone

(layering7(wp38).jpg: Uneven layering of conglomerate and sandstone

(layering8(wp38).jpg: Uneven layering of conglomerate and sandstone 

'''Description''' 

This site is at the bottom of the canyon at the head of the canyon. Most of the wall of the head of the canyon is composed of a thick conglomerate layer. The conglomerate is very poorly sorted and contains very large clasts (up to several inches in diameter). The conglomerate extends to the top of the rim but is intermixed with sandstone deposits. However, these sandstone deposits are not well layered or stratified; lenses of sandstone often pinch-out and grade into the conglomerate layer. Pure sandstone is found at the base of the outcrop as large boulders protruding onto the canyon floor. These boulders showed layering which was not symmetric or continuous over the entire rock location. Samples of the conglomerate and sandstone were collected and the region was digitally imaged. 

'''Waypoint 39''' 

'''Images''' 

(layering1(wp39).jpg: Layering of sandstone and conglomerate- note the cross-bedding and discontinuities of the layers. 

'''Description''' 

The west canyon wall just down from the canyon head is again a thick outcrop of conglomerate rock with lenses of sandstone layers. The conglomerate is non-uniform with different regions of concentrations of different sized clasts. The sandstone is medium-grained with prominent cross-bedding. The bottom portion of the outcrop is sandstone but is covered by a layer of conglomerate particles and rock fragments. This outcrop extends higher than the head of the canyon. The sandstone and conglomerate layers are approximately 10 feet thick each. This outcrop was digitally imaged. 

'''Waypoint 40''' 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 40.1

Blue rocks collected from canyon floor. 

'''Description''' 

The canyon is slightly wider at this location and the walls are still composed of conglomerate and sandstone layers. Parts of the canyon wall are unconsolidated green sand mixed with conglomerate clasts. There is much debris littering the bottom of the canyon floor including conglomerate rocks and sandstone. Also on the canyon floor were some interesting blue rocks which were collected for further analysis. 

'''Waypoint 41''' 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 41.1

Samples of large clasts found in conglomerate rocks. 

Sample 41.2 Sample of sandstone from southern wall of canyon. 

'''Images''' 

(layering1(wp41).jpg: Conglomerate and sandstone (uneven) layering.

(layering2(wp41).jpg: Conglomerate and sandstone (uneven) layering.

(layering3(wp41).jpg: Conglomerate and sandstone (uneven) layering.

(outcrop(wp41).jpg: Image of geologic outcrop. 

'''Description''' 

This site is located just around the first bend of Lith Canyon. The top of the outcrop is sandstone which is not mixed with the underlying conglomerate layer. These upper sandstone layers are tilted ~45(. The layers are not uniform in thickness and undulate with a wavelength of ~4-5 feet. The sandstone is followed by a layer of conglomerate with very large clasts, followed by a tilted, cross-bedded layer of smaller clast conglomerate and medium grained sandstone. This sandstone is very hard and well-consolidated. The northern wall of the canyon, however, is different. The large sandstone and conglomerate outcrops were not observed, but instead the walls are made of a gray unconsolidated conglomerate material with gullies running down from the rim of the canyon. Some sandstone slabs are seen at the top of the rim but are not as thick as the deposits on the other side of the canyon. Samples of the sandstone and the large conglomerate clasts from the southern wall were collected. The region was digitally imaged as well. 

'''Waypoint 43''' 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 43.1

Rocks found at base of canyon. 

Sample 43.2

Red material from canyon wall. 

'''Images''' 

(outcrop1(wp43).jpg: Image of geologic outcrop.

(outcrop2(wp43).jpg: Image of geologic outcrop.

(redveneer(wp43).jpg: Image of red veneer coating outcrop and exposed material beneath red mudstone. 

'''Description''' 

The caprock at this outcrop is a well-consolidated sandstone that is not evenly layered. One large lens of red mudstone is protruding into the sandstone layer. The sandstone is followed by a then (several inch) green mudstone, followed by a layer of red mudstone (~3 feet), green mudstone (~6 inches), then mixed sandstone and conglomerate (~8 feet). Uneven lensing and tilting of the layers is evident. A thin 1/2 inch veneer of flaky red dry mud material coats the bottom portion of the outcrop. Samples of this red coating on the outcrop as well as several multicolored rocks found at the base of the canyon were collected. This site was digitally imaged. 

Waypoint 45 (top of secondary canyon) and Waypoint 46 (bottom of secondary canyon) 

'''Sample''' 

Sample 46.1

Wide variety of rocks collected on floor of secondary canyon. 

'''Images''' 

(boulders(wp46).jpg: Large boulders that have fallen into canyon at location of ~30 foot drop.

(boulders(wp46).jpg: Large boulders that have fallen into canyon at location of ~30 foot drop.

(canyonwall1(wp46).jpg: Wall of canyon below the ~30 foot drop. 

(canyonwall1(wp46).jpg: Wall of canyon below the ~30 foot drop.

(canyonwall1(wp46).jpg: Wall of canyon below the ~30 foot drop. 

(canyonwall1(wp46).jpg: Wall of canyon below the ~30 foot drop. 

(canyonwall1(wp46).jpg: Wall of canyon below the ~30 foot drop. 

(canyonwall1(wp46).jpg: Wall of canyon below the ~30 foot drop. 

(canyonwall1(wp46).jpg: Wall of canyon below the ~30 foot drop.

(canyonhead(wp45).jpg: Image from bottom of canyon looking back at head of canyon (and ~30 foot drop).

(washw/igneous@rim(wp46).jpg: Wash area at rim of canyon where igneous rocks were found strewn on the ground. 

'''Description''' 

At this point the floor of the canyon drops approximately 30 feet and then continues downstream. Large boulders have fallen down from the sides of the canyon (sizes of the boulders vary but an average of ~6 feet in diameter is reasonable). The boulders are mainly pure, well-consolidated sandstone, although a few boulders were composed of small-clast conglomerate. The rim of the canyon is mainly sandstone (~4 feet thick), followed by a layer of red mudstone (~3 feet), more sandstone (~5 feet), then layered mudstone and sandstone (alternating layers of ~1-3 feet thickness). No cross-bedding or lensing was observed here. The walls of the canyon are mainly composed of a red mudstone which has vertical striations showing evidence of runoff from the top of the rim. The head of the canyon is undercut, allowing the eventual collapse of the sandstone layer which then tumbles down to the canyon bottom. The mudstone is clearly being undercut which causes the more resistant sandstone to protrude as ledge-like features (~2 feet thick) over the canyon. Numerous intriguing rocks of a variety of colors (red, green, purple, blue, yellow, orange, white, gray, brown) were collected from the canyon floor. Evidence of metamorphosed and igneous rock was also observed for the first time and collected. The region was also digitally imaged. '''WAYPOINT 11'''

Visited 2/9/02 

'''Samples''' 

Samples 11.1 and 11.2

Sandstone samples collected from rocks strewn about in outwash plain as imaged in outwashplain1(wp11).jpg (note the uniform directionality of the rocks, especially the row of rocks near the rock hammer) and outwashplain2(wp11).jpg (also shows the directionality of the rocks). 

Sample Bag 11.3

White sand collected from bottom of sedimentary outcrop. 

Sample Bag 11.4

Red soil collected at outwash plain (outwashplain1(wp11).jpg) near surface, juxtaposed next to green soil sample. Imaged in green&redsoil1(wp11).jpg, green&redsoil2(wp11).jpg. 

Sample Bag 11.5

Green soil collected at outwash plain (outwashplain1(wp11).jpg) near surface, juxtaposed next to red soil sample. Imaged in green&redsoil1(wp11).jpg, green&redsoil2(wp11).jpg. 

Sample Bag 11.6

Samples of conglomerate clasts from outcrop. These rocks are the largest clasts embedded in the conglomerate layer. The conglomerate rock is imaged in conglomerate(wp11).jpg. 

Sample Bag 11.7

Resistant rock collected from edge of outwash plain (outwashplain1(wp11).jpg) and imaged in resistantrock1(wp11).jpg, resistantrock2(wp11).jpg. 

'''Images''' 

(contextimage1(wp11).jpg: Context image showing the geologic outcrop.

(contextimage2(wp11).jpg: Context image showing the geologic outcrop.

(green&redsoil1(wp11).jpg: Juxtaposition of red and green soil in outwash plain below geologic outcrop.

(green&redsoil2(wp11).jpg: Juxtaposition of red and green soil in outwash plain below geologic outcrop.

(outwashplain1(wp11).jpg: Sandstone rocks in outwash plain (note the uniform directionality of the rocks, especially the row of rocks near the rock hammer).

(outwashplain2(wp11).jpg: Sandstone rocks in outwash plain (note the uniform directionality of the rocks).

(resistantrock1(wp11).jpg: Resistant rock found at edge of outwash plain.

(resistantrock2(wp11).jpg: Resistant rock found at edge of outwash plain.

(greensoilinoutcrop(wp11).jpg: Green soil found beneath the surface of outcrop.

(bedlayers1(wp11).jpg: Images of layering within the outcrop.

(bedlayers2(wp11).jpg: Images of layering within the outcrop.

(bedlayers3(wp11).jpg: Images of layering within the outcrop.

(bedlayers4(wp11).jpg: Images of layering within the outcrop.

(bedlayers5(wp11).jpg: Images of layering within the outcrop.

(conglomerate(wp11).jpg: Conglomerate rock layer within outcrop. 

'''Description''' 

A large sedimentary outcrop was found at this site. Around the periphery of the outcrop was a conglomerate rock composed of mixed size, well-rounded pebbles. The conglomerate was not extremely strong, and breaking the rock revealed potential endolithic bacteria several millimeters below the rock surface. At the top of the outcrop was a much more well-consolidated red sandstone presumable rich in iron oxide (indicative of a shallow marine environment). This caprock was much more resistant to erosion and often formed cliffs and overhangs over the less consolidated material below. Layering was still evident in this red sandstone and fractures in the rock were not uncommon. The sandstone was fairly uniform over the extent of the outcrop, and the grain size did not substantially change (in contrast with the layered deposits described below). Samples of the conglomerate rock (containing endoliths?) and the red sandstone were collected. 

Below the red sandstone cap, the outcrop was composed of layers of sandstone with obvious distinctions among the layers with respect to grain size. Medium grained layers were composed of clasts on the millimeter to submillimeter scale. The layering abruptly changed in several locations where larger clasts were embedded within the sandy matrix. These larger clasts reached diameters of ~1 inch. All clasts were well rounded both on the surface of the outcrop as well as deeper within the rock itself (confirmed to depths of ~1 foot). Grains within the layers were well sorted (with the exception of the large clasts interspersed in some layers) and the large and small grained layers were both very friable. The thickness of the individual layers varied but was on the order of 6-12 inches. In several areas, cross-bedding was very prominent. Several layers were inclined with respect to the horizontal bedding of the majority of the rock. Such dramatic cross bedding is indicative of turbulent flow and/or a change in flow direction during deposition. Samples of the largest clasts within the large clast layer were obtained and numerous digital images of the layers were taken. 

Below this layer were (sometimes slumping) deposits of white sand with flecks of iron-rich particles interspersed within it (comprising approximately 10% of the particles). This quartz-rich sand covered the upper ~3-6 inches of the outcrop. Below this depth was a mint-green sandy deposit (pending affirmative identification). Both the whitish and green soils were sampled and imaged. 

Below this phenomenal sedimentary outcrop was an outwash plain with a collection of the red sandstone rock fragments strewn across a bed of white sand. These rocks were generally oriented in the same direction (roughly aligned with the large sedimentary outcrop previously discussed) and matched the sandstone caprocks of the large sedimentary outcrop (previously discussed) with respect to color, grain size, composition, and bedding characteristics. Samples of these rocks were taken which nicely exhibit layering within the sandstone, and the rock field was digitally imaged. 

'''WAYPOINT 16'''

Visited 2/10/02 

'''Sample''' 

Sample 16.1

Sandstone rock (larger loose rock, not in a sample bag) collected from collection of scattered rocks/boulders as shown in boulderfield1(wp16).jpg, boulderfield2(wp16).jpg. 

'''Images''' 

boulderfield1(wp16).jpg: Image of boulder field.

boulderfield2(wp16).jpg: Image of boulder field. 

'''Description''' 

This location is a wide plain with the impassable (via ATV) mounds to the northwest. Vegetation is minimal. The terrain is slightly undulating and is composed of a bed of red clay littered with boulders to the west. The boulders are layered red sandstone with an average diameter of several feet. Wind erosion is common on the rocks, and samples of the sandstone were collected. Across the 4WD road to the east no boulders were observed but the ground is littered with smaller pebbles. A large resistant rock outcrop is visible on the eastern horizon. 

'''WAYPOINT 18'''

Visited 2/10/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 18.1

Sample of conglomerate rock layer from geologic outcrop. 

'''Images''' 

(outcrop(wp18).jpg: Context image showing geologic outcrop.

(conglom1(wp18).jpg: Image showing conglomerate rock layer.

(conglom2(wp18).jpg: Image showing conglomerate rock layer.

(layers1(wp18).jpg: Image showing the layering within the rock outcrop.

(layers2(wp18).jpg: Image showing the layering within the rock outcrop.

(layers3(wp18).jpg: Image showing the layering within the rock outcrop. 

'''Description''' 

A large sedimentary outcrop exists at this location. The caprock is consolidated red sandstone with bedding visible. Next is a layer of conglomerate (~2 inches thick) followed by more sandstone (~3 inches), and a thicker layer of conglomerate (~2 feet). The layering of the conglomerate at this site is less distinct than the conglomerate layers of Waypoint 11 from 2/9/02. The clasts are also not as well sorted and tend to be smaller in size than the clasts at Waypoint 11. Samples of the conglomerate rock were collected. Below the conglomerate is a harder white rock covered with a film (~1 inch) of softer flaky mudstone (green layer of ~4 inches width, red layer of ~4 inches width). The outcrop then continues down as it grades into rubble slumps at the bottom of the deposit. 

'''WAYPOINT 20'''

Visited 2/10/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample bag 20.1

Gray soil found on the extensive, barren plains of this region. 

Sample 20.2

Rock found on bottom of small incised channel cutting through gray plains, possible fossil? 

'''Images''' 

(chlugapasscanyon&plain.jpg: Image of the flat terrain of the region.

(troy@plainofchlugapass.jpg: Image of the flat terrain of the region. 

'''Description''' 

This site was reached via a narrow dried-up riverbed as ATVs were driven through the incised, gravel-laden channel. The riverbed is surrounded on all sides by smooth hills (smaller than the mounds previously seen closer to the Hab) and relatively flat plains composed of gray unconsolidated soil. The soil was barren and lacked vegetation as well as any larger rock pieces. No geologic outcrops were found in this region. A sample of the gray soil was collected from the wall of the canyon and is representative of the soil on the extensive plains/hills as well. 

'''WAYPOINT 23'''

Visited 2/10/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample Bag 23.1

Mollusk shells collected at top of hill in large fossil field. 

Sample 23.2 and Sample 23.3

Samples collected at small wash area over the ridge from the fossil field. 

'''Images''' 

(context(wp23).jpg: Context image showing geologic outcrop.

(crossbedding1(wp23).jpg: Cross-bedding shown in geologic outcrop

(crossbedding2(wp23).jpg: Cross-bedding shown in geologic outcrop

(fossilfield1(wp23).jpg: Close-up image showing fossils on the ground.

(fossilfield2(wp23).jpg: Close-up image showing fossils on the ground.

(t&jen@fossilfield2(wp23).jpg: Images taken at the fossil field on the top of the hill to the west of the geological outcrop (context(wp23).jpg) on the other side of the small canyon.

(troy@fossilfield(wp23).jpg: Images taken at the fossil field on the top of the hill to the west of the geological outcrop (context(wp23).jpg) on the other side of the small canyon.

(greenrock(wp23).jpg: Green slaty rock fragments found at base of outcrop shown in context(wp23).jpg

(ripplesinsandstone1(wp23).jpg: Ripples found in sandstone located at base of outcrop.

(ripplesinsandstone2(wp23).jpg: Ripples found in sandstone located at base of outcrop.

(undulatinglayers1(wp23).jpg: Layers of sandstone and conglomerate found in geologic outcrop.

(undulatinglayers2(wp23).jpg: Layers of sandstone and conglomerate found in geologic outcrop.

(winderosion1(wp23).jpg: Pitted sandstone (altered by wind erosion). 

(winderosion2(wp23).jpg: Pitted sandstone (altered by wind erosion).

(winderosion3(wp23).jpg: Knobby sandstone (altered by wind erosion). 

'''Description''' 

A sedimentary outcrop faces a canyon at this location. Sandstone littered at the base of the outcrop showed evidence of much windblown erosion seen as pits and alcoves carved into the rocks. Alcoves ranged in size from less than one foot on the smaller rock fragments and were large enough for a person to enter on the main outcrop face. The capstone of the outcrop was mainly the red consolidated sandstone, but in places the conglomerate rock formed the uppermost layer. Similar to Waypoint 18, the sandstone was followed by several alternating layers of conglomerate rock, although the distinction between these layers was not extraordinarily sharp and often the layers of different rock types graded into one another. Likewise, the conglomerate clasts were not well sorted (similar to the conglomerate of Waypoint 18 but in contrast to the well-sorted conglomerate of Waypoint11). Cross-bedding was widely abundant in this outcrop at larger scales than previously observed. Ripple marks on the order of several inches in wavelength were beautifully exhibited as well. The cross- bedding, ripple features, and rock layering were digitally imaged and samples of the conglomerate rock as well as green, slaty, fractured rock fragments which were scattered along the base of the outcrop were collected. 

'''WAYPOINT 34'''

Visited 2/11/02 

'''Samples''' 

Samples 34.1 and 34.2

Collected from more resistant layer of rock embedded within the red mound as shown in resistantoutcrop(wp34).jpg and resistantrock(wp34).jpg. 

Samples 34.3 and 34.4

Collected from rock slide running down side of red mound as shown in rockslide1(wp34).jpg, rockslide2(wp34).jpg, and rockslide3(wp34).jpg. 

Sample 34.4

Resistant white rock found in protruding layer of red mound. 

'''Images''' 

(resistantoutcrop(wp34).jpg: Resistant layer of rock embedded within red mound.

(resistantrock(wp34).jpg: Resistant layer of rock embedded within red mound.

(rockslide1(wp34).jpg: Rock slide running down side of red mound.

(rockslide2(wp34).jpg: Rock slide running down side of red mound.

(rockslide3(wp34).jpg: Rock slide running down side of red mound. 

'''Description''' 

This site is a canyon located between large mounds of mudstone. The mounds generally have a gray color but have a tinge of red in areas near the surface. An interesting layer of resistant white rock protrudes from the mudstone mounds. Samples of this white rock were collected. A rockslide of darker rock was also observed on the mound. Samples of this dark rock were collected. The outcrop (including the white rock layer and rockslide) were digitally imaged. 

'''WAYPOINT 35'''

Visited 2/11/02 

Sample 35.1 and 35.2

Collected from base of large rockfall (outcrop shown in outcrop(WP35).jpg). 

Sample 35.3

Collected from base of large rockfall (outcrop shown in outcrop(WP35).jpg). 

'''Images''' 

(outcrop(WP35).jpg: Context image of the outcrop

(layersinsandstone(wp35).jpg: Sandstone layering found at base of large rockfall

(ripples(wp35).jpg: Sandstone ripples found at base of large rockfall

(rocks at top1(wp35).jpg

(rocks at top2(wp35).jpg: Odd rock formations at top of large wall 

'''Description''' 

This site showed several interesting geologic features. Odd-shaped white rocks at the top of large cliffs were digitally imaged. A sandstone rockfall was examined and sampled. This rockfall was composed of rock derived from the upper caprock outcrop and showed evidence of wind erosion (pitting in the rocks) and ripple marks were observed (although at a smaller scale than Waypoint 23). 

'''WAYPOINT 36'''

Visited 2/11/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 36.1

Collected from caprock of layered outcrop depicted in layering1(wp36).jpg, layering2(wp36).jpg, sharplayering1(wp36).jpg, sharplayering2(wp36).jpg. 

Sample 36.2

Collected from red layer depicted in sharplayering3(wp36).jpg, sharplayering4(wp36).jpg, sharplayering5(wp36).jpg. 

Sample 36.3 and 36.4

Collected from green layer depicted in sharplayering3(wp36).jpg, sharplayering4(wp36).jpg, sharplayering5(wp36).jpg. 

'''Images''' 

(layering1(wp36).jpg: Layering of outcrop

(layering2(wp36).jpg: Layering of outcrop

(sharplayering1(wp36).jpg: Sharp, distinct boundary between layers

(sharplayering2(wp36).jpg: Sharp, distinct boundary between layers

(sharplayering3(wp36).jpg: Sharp, distinct boundary between layers

(sharplayering4(wp36).jpg: Sharp, distinct boundary between layers

(sharplayering5(wp36).jpg: Sharp, distinct boundary between layers 

'''Description''' 

This large outcrop of well-stratified sedimentary layers is composed of red mudstone and clays typically capped by sandstone. Smaller red mounds of the mudstone are littered with sandstone debris derived mainly from the caprocks. The red sandstone is much more fine-grained than the sandstone seen at previous Waypoints (mainly to the east of Waypoint 36). The boundaries between the layers of the outcrop are very distinct and sharp, and the layers themselves are horizontal with not much directional variation. Cross-bedding was not observed at this outcrop. A conglomerate layer exists just below the sandstone caprock, but the layer is smaller than the layers seen at previous Waypoints, and also the clasts at Waypoint 36 are significantly smaller than those previously observed. Based on the above observations, one can infer that this outcrop was deposited in a quite calm water environment. Turbulence was absent, allowing the layers to deposit in their horizontal, well-defined fashion. There was not much water movement at significant velocities, and hence the larger clasts in the conglomerate are missing since bigger particles cannot be transported in slower flows, Because the water was not moving rapidly, finer particles could settle out of the solution and hence produce the finer grained sandstone. A sample of the fine-grained sandstone, green and red mudstone (from the outcrop layers), and digital images were obtained. 

'''Waypoint 49'''

Visited 2/14/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 49.1

Sample of conglomerate rock from outcrop. 

Sample 49.2

Sample of conglomerate rock from outcrop containing endoliths. 

'''Images''' 

(outcrop1(wp49).jpg: Image of outcrop.

(outcrop2(wp49).jpg: Image of outcrop.

(layers1(wp49).jpg: Layering within the outcrop.

(layers1(wp49).jpg: Layering within the outcrop.

(watertrace1(wp49).jpg: Ripple marks hardened into mud as evidence for past water activity.

(watertrace2(wp49).jpg: Ripple marks hardened into mud as evidence for pasat water activity. 

'''Description''' 

Broad flat plain to the west and small irregular gullies and hills to the east. The gullies cut through a sequence of medium to coarse grained cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates. This outcrop is clearly stratigraphically below the sediments described at waypoint 48. The cross-bedding occurs in set between 20 cm and several meters thick. The clasts include a wide variety of lithotypes and minerals. The grains are well rounded but poorly sorted indicating a somewhat proximal source. The cross bedding indicates a fluvial environment. 

'''Waypoint 50'''

Visited 2/14/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 50.1

Sandstone containing endoliths. 

Sample 50.2 (loose sample, not in sample bag)

Sandstone collected from outcrop. 

'''Images''' 

(outcrop(wp50).jpg: Image of the outcrop.

(outcrop(wp50).jpg: Image of the outcrop.

(ssendolith(wp50).jpg: Endolith within the sandstone.

(biosampleloc1(wp50).jpg: Image of sample where biological sample was collected. 

'''Description''' 

This was a small hill (18 feet high) that included red medium grained cross-bedded sandstones with a few thin discontinuous conglomeratic horizons. These rocks appeared to be stratigraphically above the rocks described at Waypoint 49. They may represent a transitional sequence between the thick cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates below and the finer grained red and gray layers above. 

'''Waypoint 51'''

Visited 2/14/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 51.1

Igneous rocks collected on an outwash plain above the canyon. 

Sample 51.2

Sandstone from the top of the canyon. 

'''Images''' 

(igneousdeps1(wp51).jpg: Field of igneous deposition.

(igneousdeps1(wp51).jpg: Field of igneous deposition.

(igneousdeps1(wp51).jpg: Field of igneous deposition.

(igneousrxs(wp51).jpg: Field of igneous deposition.

(igneousrxs(wp51).jpg: Field of igneous deposition. 

'''Description''' 

This stop was located between the road and a small canyon to the east. Numerous large pebbles and boulders were strewn across the landscape. The boulders seem to be concentrated in certain horizons although the boulders were not found insitu. The boulders were covered in black desert varnish but they included a wide variety of resistant lithologies including igneous rocks (diorite?), coarse-grained quartzites and chert. The boulders are all well rounded and flatten. They may represent a beach deposit because finer grained sandstones with bioturbation (feeding traces of worms?) were identified in this sequence. The bioturbation probably occurred in a shallow marine environment. 

'''Waypoint 52'''

Visited 2/14/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 52.1

Red coating from canyon wall. 

Sample 52.2

Green coating from canyon wall. 

'''Images''' 

(outcrop1(wp52).jpg: Image of outcrop.

(outcrop2(wp52).jpg: Image of outcrop.

(outcrop3(wp52).jpg: Image of outcrop.

(outcrop4(wp52).jpg: Image of outcrop.

(outcrop5(wp52).jpg: Image of outcrop.

(canyon1(wp52).jpg: Image of the canyon.

(canyon2(wp52).jpg: Image of the canyon. 

'''Description''' 

This waypoint was located in the small canyon to the east of Waypoint 50 (approximately 30 feet deep). A thick sequence of cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates overlies an alternating sequence of thinner red and brown sandstones and siltstones. Fine grained gray-green horizons may represent shallow marine deposits. Thick-bedded coarse-grained cross-bedded sandstones occur in the lowest parts of the canyon. These rocks represent the lowest layers in the sequence we traversed during EVA7. The canyon contained flowing water. 

'''WAYPOINT 54'''

Visited 2/15/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 54.1

Rock found at the bottom of the canyon that seems to be composed of gypsum when broken open. 

Sample 54.2

Sample taken from canyon wall from a thin layer of sandstone. 

'''Images''' (canyon1(wp54).jpg: View of canyon from rim.

(canyon2(wp54).jpg: View of canyon from rim.

(canyon3(wp54).jpg: View of canyon from rim.

(canyon4(wp54).jpg: View of canyon from rim.

(canyonhead1(wp54).jpg: View of canyon head from bottom of canyon.

(canyonhead2(wp54).jpg: View of canyon head from bottom of canyon.

(canyonhead3(wp54).jpg: View of canyon head from bottom of canyon.

(canyonwall(wp54).jpg: View of the canyon wall near the head of the canyon.

(troy&boulders(wp54).jpg: Troy standing next to a large sandstone boulder which has fallen down to the canyon floor from the layer of sandstone at the canyon rim. 

'''Description''' 

A large canyon with an ~80 foot drop from rim to bottom was found at this location. The morphology of the canyon head was similar to the second canyon found at Lith Canyon (with the ~30 foot drop). An upper thick layer of sandstone overlies a softer layer of mudstone which is being undercut. This process causes the remaining sandstone to protrude as large ledges and eventually tumble to the canyon floor creating a large boulder pile on the canyon floor. These boulders are very large with circumferences greater than 5-6 feet. The caprock sandstone contains uneven lenses of conglomerate layers. Clasts are poorly sorted and of medium size. The sandstone has large fractures which typically run down the whole length of the rock. These breaks in the rock result in a discontinuous caprock with preferential zones of weakness when the rocks break and fall to the bottom of the canyon. These large cracks also concentrate surface runoff into the canyon because the mudstone underneath these regions is more undercut as evidenced by U-shaped depressions running down the canyon wall. The layers below the sandstone are mainly a flaky mudstone, but interspersed at uneven intervals are thin (~2-12 inch thick) layers of harder sandstone (although this sandstone is not a particularly hard sandstone). The mudstone of the canyon walls is unevenly coated with green and red veneers. These coatings are not in horizontal layers as seen at previous waypoints but rather look like runoff remnants from the rim of the canyon. A smaller variety of rock types are present on the canyon floor in comparison with the wide variety of rocks found at the second canyon system in Lith Canyon. However, the Candor Chasma of Waypoint 54 is a much larger and more extensive canyon system than that of Lith Canyon. Samples of the sandstone were collected from Candor Chasma and the site was digitally imaged. 

'''Waypoint 55''' Visited 2/15/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 55.1 (loose sample, not in sample bag)

Sample of canyon wall which shows small veins of gypsum in its interior. 

Sample 55.2

Sample of gypsum from a vertical vein in canyon wall (as imaged in vertwhitelayer1(wp55).jpg) 

'''Images''' 

(whitelayer1(wp55).jpg: Interesting wavy deposit of gypsum in canyon wall.

(whitelayer1(wp55).jpg: Interesting wavy deposit of gypsum in canyon wall.

(whitelayering1(wp55).jpg: Horizontal and dipping layers of gypsum in canyon wall.

(whitelayering2(wp55).jpg: Horizontal and dipping layers of gypsum in canyon wall.

(vertwhitelayer1(wp55).jpg: Vertical white layer of gypsum in canyon wall. 

'''Description''' 

This location is located further downstream from the head of Candor Chasma and is reached by traveling through a labyrinth of canyon systems to Semi-Infinite Slot Canyon. Here the walls of the canyon extend ~40 feet vertically up and the canyon is on average ~5-10 feet wide. The walls are composed of a soft mudstone which is more consolidated than the material at the head of the canyon. The canyon walls show horizontal layering and are covered with a thin veneer of red material in most locations (but occasionally a thin green layer is seen). The surface of the walls show thick (several inch) to thin (several mm) continuous lines of white material. Much of this material is parallel to the layered parent material, but some veins are vertical(!) and some cross-cut the strata at 30-45( angles with respect to the horizontal bedding plane. Within a rock wall sample are thin (several mm) veins of the same white material. At Waypoint 55, the bottom layers (~2-3 feet thick) of the canyon walls are more undercut than the overlying layers. These undercut layers also show a greater concentration of thin (<~1/2 inch) white veins than the upper strata. These mysterious veins are not always necessarily parallel to the bedding plane of the parent rock. The dip of the cross-cutting white material is consistent within an outcrop, but the preferential dip direction of the cross-cutting veins is localized. At one outcrop the veins dipped from the west towards the east, but at another outcrop (visible from the same location) the veins dipped from the north towards the south. The composition of this white material has not yet been positively identified but samples were collected and will be analyzed in the lab. The site was also digitally imaged. 

'''Waypoint 70'''

Visited 2/17/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 70.1

Sandstone collected from caprock layer of canyon wall. 

Sample 70.2

Mudstone collected from canyon wall just below sandstone caprock. 

Sample 70.3

Gypsum layer found within mudstone rock lying on canyon floor. 

'''Images''' 

(canyonrim1(wp70).jpg: Image of Murphy Canyon from the rim.

(canyonrim2(wp70).jpg: Image of Murphy Canyon from the rim.

(coloredrock1(wp70).jpg: Multi-colored mudstone on canyon wall.

(coloredrock2(wp70).jpg: Multi-colored mudstone on canyon wall.

(rockslide(wp70).jpg: Image of rockslide running down wall of canyon. 

'''Description''' 

This Waypoint is located at the bottom of the canyon. Massive deposits (~20 feet thick) of sandstone caprocks are on the rim of the canyon. The sandstone doesn’t show much cross-bedding and appears to be relatively pure (i.e. not mixed with much conglomerate as has been seen at previous waypoints). Next in the sequence is thinly bedded green and red mudstones (layers ~1 foot thick) followed by more massive deposits of sandstone, then more mudstone layering. 

There is much evidence of mass wasting in the form of dry debris slopes with rocks and boulders falling down a channel chute and then being deposited in a debris apron at the bottom of the slope. The walls of the canyon have a great deal of slumping material strewn with rocks and boulders down the side, giving the canyon a very jumbled appearance. 

The mud/siltstone boulders at the base of the wall on the channel edge have irregular patterns of gypsum deposits. These layers are relatively thin (<~1/2 inch) and crosscut the rock at various angles, although the layers tend towards the horizontal. The rocks of the canyon wall are covered in a random fashion with green and red mudstone. These veneers are very intermixed and jumbled; the deposits are not in discrete layers as have been seen at previous waypoints. This observation supports the theory of large amounts of rock movement relatively recently in this canyon. Plus much of the wall faces are irregular in shape, owing to the large amount of rock falls and slides. 

The canyon floor is composed of medium grained sand with some larger pebbles strewn on the top of the deposit. The creek bed was dry. 

This site was digitally imaged, and sample of the sandstone caprock and mudstone layers were collected. 

'''Waypoint 74'''

Visited 2/17/02 

'''Samples''' 

Sample 74.1

Sample of debris talus at the base of the outcrops. 

'''Images''' 

(canyonroad(wp74).jpg: Road following dry creek bed that winds through the canyon.

(strata1(wp74).jpg: Close view of canyon wall strata with thinly bedded layers and cross-cutting gypsum beds.

(strata2(wp74).jpg: Close view of canyon wall strata with thinly bedded layers and cross-cutting gypsum beds.

(stratavista1(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista2(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista3(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista4(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista5(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista6(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista7(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista8(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista9(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system.

(stratavista10(wp74).jpg: Vista view of the canyon system. 

'''Description''' 

Thinly bedded strata (on the order of several inches) as seen from Waypoint 15 were observed up-close today. On EVA2 (9Feb02) these intriguing strata were seen from a cliff, but today we were able to successfully descend into the canyon at a more manageable location to observe the rocks. The walls of the canyon are vertical and ~25 feet high. The outcrops are located on a wide wash plain and a small (dry) creek runs through the center. The outcrops seem to be eroding rapidly because at the base are large piles of debris that slid off of the outcrop and accumulated as slump piles. These piles of debris typically extend half-way up the outcrop and ~10 feet laterally away from the outcrop face into the wash plain. The debris piles are mainly red soil but there are also fair amounts of rock and gypsum fragments as well. The angle of the debris slopes is close to the angle of repose since loose material slides very easily. The tops of the outcrops are covered with much unconsolidated debris composed of soil (green and red) and some larger rocks. The slope of this debris is facing towards the canyon walls. There are some concentrations of larger rock slides as well. 

The canyon walls are mainly thin (several inches) beds of various shades of red. There are also a few green layers that are several inches thick interspersed on the order of one foot apart. Thin (few mm) striations of gypsum are present in mainly horizontal layers, although there are some thicker (several inch) bands. There are fewer cross-cutting gypsum bands but these are preferentially dipped in one direction. This dip direction is exactly the opposite on opposite sides of the canyon, but both are facing down-dip towards the canyon as seen by looking at a series of stepwise blocks of the layered walls that extend in box-like shapes into the canyon. . Below the outer red flaky veneer of the canyon wall (several mm thick) is a harder, more resistant white rock. It was difficult to obtain an intact sample by chipping with the hammer since I could only scrape the rock into a finer powder to release it from the wall. 

===Final Biology Report — MDRS, Feb 20, 2002, Troy Wegman, Steve McDaniel===
This is a compilation of all data listed in the previous biology reports. The samples have been preserved in 2% glutaraldehyde at 4ºC. Original samples in zip-lock bags are in a lab drawer. 

'''OPH potential positives: already tested once:''' 

'''2-08-02 EVA I''' 

Waypoint 5 Waypoint 6-tri-color soil-first to turn positive? Waypoint 7-black Waypoint 7-orange 

Troy: Samples were collected at a variety of biologically interesting sites. All the samples were sampled from the exterior top surface of the rock formations. When splitting open rocks, looking underneath them, or looking in rock crevices, no apparent biological growth was visible by our team. Future efforts will focus on visualizing these specific rock areas. The samples we collected appear to be lichens or algae. Their colors were orange, blue/gray, or black. The following four sites were observed at length, and 6 total samples were obtained: 

Waypoint 5: 38( 24.05’ N, 110( 46.89’ W: blue/gray and black biological growth sample. Light meter reading: 62. 

Waypoint 6: see above. Geological sample. Light meter reading: 59. 

Waypoint 7: 38( 23.97’ N, 110( 46.79’ W: orange, blue/gray, and black biological growth samples. (3 samples). Light meter reading: 65. 

Waypoint 9: 38( 23.67’ N, 110( 46.88’ W: blue/gray biological growth sample (on green rock). Light meter reading: 62. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Troy: The gross specimen (dissection) scope and Olympus microscope were both used to image samples taken by the 08FEB02 EVA team. The samples included Waypoint 7 orange, Waypoint 7 black, Waypoint 7 gray/blue, Waypoint 5 gray/blue, Waypoint 9 gray/blue, and Waypoint 6 (geological sample). All samples except Waypoint 6 contained visible biological epilithic growth upon collection. (The gross color is mentioned after the Waypoint number). Upon visualization of the samples under the dissection scope, the rock surfaces containing the biological growth were porous, sandy, and generally rose-colored. Wet mounts were then made, and the respective samples were visualized using a bright field setting on the Olympus microscope with 200X-1000X magnification. In waypoint samples 5, 7, and 9, there were objects consistent with lichens (algal cells attached to fungal hyphae). 

'''2-9-02 EVA II''' 

Waypoint 11 sedimentary outcrop 

Waypoint 11: 4253.267 km N, 518.579 km E: Sedimentary Outcrop - Location of ancient water flow and endolith growth samples. Elevation: 4479 feet. 

'''RESULTS:''' Not analyzed by microscopy as of 2-20-02 

'''2-10-02 EVA III''' 

Waypoint 18-endolith Waypoint 18-desert varnish 

Waypoint 18: 4253.157 km N, 518.201 km E: Sedimentary Outcrop - less distinctive layering than waypoint 11. No sub or epilithic found, possible endolithic was found. Possible desert varnish found. Elevation: 4558 feet. 

Troy: Today’s 10FEB02 EVA team visited several sites. As expected, numerous lichens were found in all areas where rocks were plentiful. We again avoided the collection of lichens. Like yesterday, we primarily were looking for endolithic and hypolithic organisms. All rocky area waypoints were examined for these organisms. Waypoint 18 (see geology section for description and location) was the most prosperous site of the day for endolithic organisms. A green layer inside some areas of sandstone-like rock was exposed upon cracking. This was about 1 cm below the surface. Hypolithic organisms (under/bottom of rock) were not visualized at any location by our team. Another interesting set of rocks at Waypoint 18 appeared to have an exterior black/brown coating even though their interior minerals were lighter in color. This is hypothesized to be ‘desert varnish’, a painted appearance on the rocks due to microorganisms oxidizing manganese and iron to produce black and red colors. Upon chiseling these rocks, layers of green material were found directly below the surface. Possibly there are endolithic organisms below the surface that created this painted appearance. It would be nice to test for certain minerals in these painted rocks and in all rocks in general. Perhaps this may be a capability of future MDRS crews. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Steve: The microscopy of the endolithic sample showed clear evidence of cellular organisms (cellular inclusions, ovoid, pigmented). Certain of the cells were very small and at least certain of them appeared to be motile (directional movement in excess of movement due to Brownian motion). Such cells were observed in both the decanted liquid and in the resuspended pellet. There were also crystalline structures. There were apparent colonial (end to end, segmented or branched) structures of much larger cells. All motile cells appeared to be individual. None of the cells appeared to fluoresce (brightly, at least) under any filter scenario (at least in a fashion or intensity consistent with the control fluorescent beads). 

Waypoint 23-sub(hypo)lith rock looks like potato 

Waypoint 23: 4253.277 km N, 517.084 km E: Fossil Field. Elevation: 4592 feet. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Steve: The microscopy of the sublithic sample also showed clear evidence of cellular organisms (cellular inclusions, ovoid, pigmented). There were very few individual cells as opposed to other samples imaged to date. There were apparent colonial (end to end, segmented or branched) structures of average sized cells. No motile cells appeared. Certain of the colonial structures appeared to fluoresce using a yellow filter UV. The fluorescence might be mere background, however it was differentiated between green, yellow and orange colors. None of the cells appeared to fluoresce under any filter scenario in a fashion or intensity consistent with the control fluorescent beads). 

'''2-11-02 EVA IV''' 

Waypoint 35 desert varnish 

Waypoint 35: 4256.338 km N, 516.867 km E: Large Rock Fall - Elevation: 4572 feet. 

Troy: Today’s 11FEB02 EVA team visited several sites starting with the Lower Blue Hills area northwest of the hab, and finishing close to the Coal Mine wash area. Vegetation was plentiful in the Lower Blue Hills area and became sparser the further northwest we went. In the Lower Blue Hills area there were few rocks to examine for lithic organisms. However, there were mollusk fossils like those found yesterday in this location. Other landscapes further north and closer to the Coal Mine wash area contained many varieties of rocks that did not appear to have growth on any location about the rocks. We then descended to Waypoint 35 and found large rocks covered in a desert varnish fashion, as described yesterday. There may be endolithic growth below the desert varnish, and a sample was taken for lab analysis. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Sample not tested by microscopy as of 2-20-02 

Samples not tested by Steve for OPH activity as of 2-20-02 

'''2-13-02 EVA V''' 

Lith Canyon Waypoints 37-47. 

Troy:Overview of Waypoints: As mentioned previously, Lith Canyon contains abundant geological deposits containing green sediment and strata. Samples were taken so we can determine if green sediment is associated with biological growth. Rock samples in the streambed were taken for analysis. Lichens were plentiful on large rocks. An excellent endolith sample was found in the middle portion of the canyon. Desert varnish with possible endoliths was also present near this location. Water was abundantly present in the canyon and more so than any other area visited. The water was frozen and snow was found near the bottom of the canyon. A bone and petrified wood were found at the same location. Rocks in this location were overturned, and apparent hypoliths were found. Vegetation was plentiful throughout the canyon, and cacti were found at the top of the canyon. Evidence of large animal activity was noted, including large cat (bobcat or mountain lion) and antelope. 

Sample 1 Sample 2 Waypoint 38 This area contained frozen pits of water. A sample was taken (#1) in a small plastic test tube. A soft green stratum was present near the bottom of the canyon outcrop, and a sample was taken (#2) to determine if this green color can be associated with microorganisms. A photo was also taken of the sample #2 source. 

Sample 3 Waypoint 39 The streambed contained numerous embedded rocks. A particular rock had a green-black layer on its surface. A sample (#3) was chiseled off and photographed. 

Sample 4 Waypoint 40 Heldmann saw blue rocks in the streambed, and these may be of interest to the biology mission (Sample #4) 

Sample 5 Waypoint 42 On the canyon sidewalls, medium grain sedimentary sandstone had fallen from the top of the canyon. Lichens were present on the sides of rocks that averaged 2 feet in length. When the rock was split to expose it 2 inches below the surface, a dark green powdery growth was present. Also, a pit was present in the rock after being split, and green material was abundant there. A sample was taken by scraping a plastic tube against the powdery growth (#5) and photographed, and another sample XXX contained a piece of the split rock and another endolithic sample from a similar stone nearby. The split rock portion retained was one which housed the domed green powdery growth (apparently a pocket in the rock interior). 

Sample 6 Waypoint 44 Large boulders (~6 feet long and 3 ft wide) were present at the bottom of the canyon. The surface appeared black and brown and resembles desert varnish. The rocks that contain this desert varnish have been the same type at different locations. The desert varnish surface was chipped, and at certain points, a green endolithic layer was present. A sample was taken (#6) and photographed. 

Sample 7 Waypoint 45 This location was at the top of the 30-40 ft. canyon drop. A sample of sand in the streambed was taken at this location (#7). Another sample on a nearby sidewall was taken that resembled the green material at Waypoint 38. 

Sample 8 Sample 10 Sample 11 Waypoint 46 About halfway down the 30-40 ft. drop, snow was visible on the surface of large boulders. A sample was taken (#8). A bone resembling a leg bone was found at this location (#9). It is unclear whether this is fossilized or a recent deposit. Under a very large rock hypolithic growth was seen, and a sample was taken (#10). Another hypolith sample was taken under a streambed rock (#11). More desert varnish coated rocks were present here, but no sample was taken. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Troy: Today (2/14) the samples from the 13FEB02 EVA were analyzed in the lab. The samples were from Lith Canyon, Waypoint 13. Two protocols were used for sample extraction. One included the direct scraping from the sample, and the other included crushing the sample with a glass stir rod in a microcentrifuge tube, adding 1 ml of water, vortexing, and spinning the sample for a brief time to pellet out the sediment. Wet mounts were made from the supernatant or in 50% glycerol. Samples #5 (endolith found in medium-grain sedimentary sandstone on the side canyon wall) and #6 (endolith found in desert varnish boulder) contained green cells resembling algae. In the rest of the samples, including water and strata samples, no organisms were seen. All samples did contain moving particles at 1000X oil immersion, but it is unclear as to whether these are living or artifact. 

'''2-14-02 EVA VI''' 

Waypoint/Sample 49.1 

Waypoint 49: 4248.75 km N, 519.09 km E, Low Stratigraphic point – Elevation: 4482 ft. Broad flat plain to the west and small irregular gullies and hills to the east. The gullies cut through a sequence of medium to coarse-grained cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates. This outcrop is clearly stratigraphically below the sediments described at waypoint 48. The cross-bedding occurs in set between 20 cm and several meters thick. The clasts include a wide variety of lithotypes and minerals. The grains are well rounded but poorly sorted indicating a somewhat proximal source. The cross bedding indicates a fluvial environment. Geo Sample 49.1 of the conglomerate rock was taken here. Bio Sample 49.1 was an endolithic organism in a conglomerate rock. This site was digitally imaged. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Sample 49.1: This was a small grain conglomerate rock with a green, endolithic layer directly below the surface. Upon a scraping extraction and microscopic visualization at 400X, the sample contained numerous green algal-like cells, many which were clustered together. This is the first sample in which we have found organisms in a conglomerate sample instead of a medium to large grain sandstone sample. POSITIVE 

Waypoint/Sample 51 

Waypoint 51: 4247.49 km N, 520.25 km E, Top of Canyon – Elevation: 4404 ft. This stop was located between the road and a small canyon to the east. Numerous large pebbles and boulders were strewn across the landscape. The boulders seem to be concentrated in certain horizons although the boulders were not found insitu. The boulders were covered in black desert varnish but they included a wide variety of resistant lithologies including igneous rocks (diorite?), coarse-grained quartzites and chert. The boulders are all well rounded and flatten. They may represent a beach deposit because finer grained sandstones with bioturbation (feeding traces of worms?) were identified in this sequence. The bioturbation probably occurred in a shallow marine environment. One biological sample was taken here; 51.1 (51) was another endolithic organism found when breaking open a layer of sandstone. Geologic samples of the igneous rocks were also collected. This site was digitally imaged. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Sample 51: This was another endolithic layer found when breaking open sandstone. By scraping extraction and microscopic visualization at 400X, green algal layers were present on mineral deposits. When extracted by crushing the sample, adding water, vortexing, and spinning followed by 400X magnification, numerous brown and green cells similar to algae were found. The brown cells did not look the same as previous samples examined by Steve. The internal structure seen in those samples was absent in these brown cells. POSITIVE 

Waypoint/Sample 52.1 (H2O) Waypoint/Sample 52.2 

Waypoint 52: 4247.52 km N, 520.38 km E, Bottom of Canyon – Elevation: 4374 ft. This waypoint was located in the small canyon to the east of Waypoint 50 (approximately 30 feet deep). A thick sequence of cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates overlies an alternating sequence of thinner red and brown sandstones and siltstones. Fine grained gray-green horizons may represent shallow marine deposits. Thick-bedded coarse-grained cross-bedded sandstones occur in the lowest parts of the canyon. These rocks represent the lowest layers in the sequence we traversed during EVA7. The canyon contained flowing water. Two biological samples were taken here. 52.1 was a sample of the frozen water. 52.2 was a sample of sandstone with black and pinkish-white lichen epilithic. When a layer of the rock was broken open a layer it revealed a small colony of brown-green endolithic organisms that were sampled. Geologic samples of the red and green coatings on the outcrop as well as a sandstone sample were collected. This site was digitally imaged. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Sample 52.1: This water sample was directly examined by wet mount at 400X, and no organisms were seen. NO ORGANISMS SEEN 

Sample 52.2: This sandstone sample appeared to contain a small, brown-green, endolithic colony upon field collection. Upon direct examination after scraping and visualization at 400X, no organisms were seen. After crushing extraction, no organisms were seen. NO ORGANISMS SEEN 

'''2-15-02 EVA VII''' 

Waypoint/Sample 54 #1 Waypoint/Sample 54 #2 

Waypoint 54: 4251.76 km N, 521.91 km E, Bottom and Head of Candor Chasma Canyon, Elevation: 4457 ft. 

Troy: Vegetation was plentiful at the base of the canyon. Lichens were plentiful on large rocks, particularly black in color. Large medium-grain sedimentary sandstone rocks similar to those in Lith Canyon were chiseled to reveal a green endolithic layer underneath. A sample was taken for analysis (#1). A white, flaky, unidentified material inside rocks was found to occasionally contain a green layer. A sample was taken for analysis (#2). Rocks were overturned for hypolith analysis, but no organisms were seen. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Sample 54 #1: This Candor Chasma sample was a medium-grain sedimentary sandstone with a desert varnish layer on its surface. Upon direct examination by scraping, the sample contained numerous green cells representing algae, mostly in pairs of two or three. These have been seen before under the desert varnish layer. POSITIVE 

Sample 55 (AKA 54#2): This gypsum-like, white, crystallized sample possessed a brown-green haze over its white surface. Upon direct examination by scraping at visualization at 400X, no organisms were seen. Upon crushing extraction, no organisms were seen: however, there may be bacteria present which actually appear more genuine than other suspected bacteria. FURTHER ANALYSIS NEEDED (gram stain) 

'''2-16-02 EVA VIII''' 

Waypoint/Sample 59-salt crystals 

Way Point 59: 4251.44 N, 515.48 E Elevation = 4626 ft. Steve: Lower portion of scree down from vertical face of escarpment showed samples of sandstone rocks with salt of surfaces. Took samples of rock interior with such salt-like deposits ‘Sample 59 salt crystals’(see discussions above by Wegman regarding potential halophilic bacteria associated with such salt deposits). The top of the cliff comprised resistant flat bedded sandstones. Float samples were examined on the alluvial fan (scree slope). Features evident in the sandstone included ripple marks and carbonized tree fragments. Most of the cliff comprised thin bedded mudstones with a few sandstone layers (between 10 and 200 cm thick). The mudstones are less resistant and erosion has resulted in the 50m? vertical cliff. The mudstones include gypsum layers and gypsum along thin veins. Two rock samples were taken at this location. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Waypoint 59 sample: See pictures. This sample contained many salt crystals. Under 400X, some of the salt crystals had very small, green, rod-like chains resembling bacteria (in size) dispersed throughout a brown tainted crystal. The brown color may be an organism, but no distinct structure was observed today. Even though these organisms are hard to visualize, clearly some crystals did not contain any of these green chains. We do not know the composition of the salt, but we can presume it is gypsum, which is common in the Hanksville, UT area. POSITIVE: HALOPHILIC ORGANISMS. 

Waypoint/Sample 59-wall salt 

Steve: WayPoint 59: At the juncture between the scree and the vertical face of the escarpment, we took two samples. One was of a piece of mudstone with white fractures and surface features indicative of the face of the escarpment. Another sample ‘Sample 59-wall salt’ was scraped from the surface and represented the typical escarpment surface, which surface seemed to be coated with a thin layer of mud runoff from higher up the escarpment face, and just under the mud layer the strata of the escarpment face. These strata had to chief characteristics – there was substantial white powdery substance that appeared to be leachate (salt?) from the more porous layers, and there were very fine cross-strata veins of a harder white material. The sample taken was chiefly of the strata evidencing the white leachate. 

'''RESULTS:''' not analyzed by microscopy as of 2-20-02. 

Waypoint/Sample 62-soil 

Steve: IMPORTANT - Way Point 62: 4253.09 N, 514.75 E Elevation = 4758ft. We noted a very interesting phenomenon on the plains below the Skyline Ridge. Where the mudstone being washed out of the escarpment was clearly the dominant surface soil, there was little or no vegetation. Where the sandstone being washed out of the escarpment was clearly the dominant surface soil, vegetation was present. We also noted that the mudstone was high in gypsum (salt) and likely high in over all salt content. The effect was most striking where large areas of mudstone soil abutted large areas of sandstone soil, and even more striking where these soils abutted one another in a repetitive fashion. We took soil samples of each type ‘Sample –62 soil’ as close to one another as distinct sampling allowed (approximately 10-20 feet). These will be subjected to the microbiology assays to determine if there is a similar effect in the microbial life (if any). We are most interested to find if there are any halophilic bacteria in the mudstone soils. 

'''RESULTS: not analyzed by microscopy as of 2-20-02''' 

'''2-17-02 EVA IX''' 

Waypoint 71 (1) 

Waypoint 71: 4254.84 km N, 520.03 km E Elevation = 4428 feet. A very large, medium grain, sedimentary sandstone boulder in the wash bed was chiseled to reveal an endolithic green layer directly below the surface. A sample (#1) was taken. 

'''RESULTS:''' not analyzed by microscopy as of 2-20-02 

Waypoint 72 (2) 

Waypoint 72: 4254.81 km N, 520.10 km E Elevation = 4244 feet Turning left (East) at the fork in the canyon, a very large, mixed medium grain sandstone and small conglomerate boulder was chiseled at three random areas to reveal red, green, and dark brown/black suspicious spots. The red sample was the most powdery, followed by the brown/black, and the green sample, respectively. 

'''RESULTS:''' not analyzed by microscopy as of 2-20-02 

Waypoint 73 (3) 

Waypoint 73: 4254.64 km N, 520.22 km E Elevation = 4421 feet. A large undercut area contained numerous lichens on large sandstone boulders. Also, muddy soil contained black growths suspected to be lichens. A sample of this soil was taken (#3) to compare to other soil samples taken on other EVAs. Vegetation in this area and in all areas of the canyon was the most plentiful of any canyon we’ve visited. The soil along the whole canyon had the highest water content of any area we’ve visited, even if standing water was absent. When digging into the soil, a muddy, dark brown surface was exposed. Frozen water was present in certain areas, including icicles underneath the top of the undercut area. The plants were greener than in any other canyon area. 

'''RESULTS:''' not analyzed by microscopy as of 2-20-02 

Waypoint 74 #4 Waypoint 74 #5 

Waypoint 74: 4254.91 km N, 520.45 km E Elevation = 4405 feet. Troy: At the base of a small wash area, a soft rock was covered with gray and brown dust. Upon chiseling the top of this rock, a white crystal surface was exposed that was similar to that found in Candor Chasma. We believe this white material is gypsum 

(CaSO4 2H2O). In Candor Chasma, a sample was taken in which there was a green-brown haze on the white crystals, and that lab analysis failed to detect any organisms. Here in this canyon, a very distinct, concentrated, green layer characteristic of an endolith was found directly below the surface of the rock. Sections were taken (#4) for lab analysis. Upon further chiseling of the rock near the ground, no distinct green layers were seen. However, the green-brown haze was present in some areas. Also in this area and many other areas of the canyon and Candor Chasma, an orange haze clouded a sample of the gypsum. This is sample #5. 

'''RESULTS:''' 

Waypoint 74 #4 sample: See pictures. At 400X, cells (averaging ~30 um) were present in this sample. They had a green external wall and a yellow interior. There were green structures within the yellow interior, some round and some rod-like. The size of the cells varied in this sample, which are probably algal cells. The sample also contained chains of green oval cells that were sometimes intermixed with the large yellow-green cells. These green oval chains were attached to and possibly contained within the gypsum crystals. They appear to anchor the large yellow-green cells to the gypsum crystals. These don’t look like fungi. They may be another type of algae or a cyanobacterium. These organisms are growing on the gypsum (calcium sulfate hydrate) directly below the surface of the rock. POSITIVE: HALOPHILIC, ENDOLITHIC ORGANISMS. 

Waypoint 74 #5 sample: See pictures: This sample was a gypsum salt rock. Under 400X, green chains resembling bacteria (in size and shape) were dispersed throughout the gypsum crystals. Some crystals didn’t possess any organisms. These organisms are similar to what was found in the Waypoint 59 sample yesterday. The Waypoint 59 sample was a rock covered with salt crystals. It is important to note that organisms were found in the Waypoint 74 #5 gypsum rock even though no visible green growth was apparent like that of the previously analyzed Waypoint 74 #4 gypsum rock sample and other rock samples. POSITIVE: HALOPHILIC, ENDOLITHIC ORGANISMS. 

Also the gram stain reagents arrived in the afternoon. With no culturing capability, we are trying to use any techniques possible to characterize these organisms, keeping in mind that cyanobacteria are gram negative. Gram stains were performed on the following samples: Waypoint 59, Waypoint 74 #4, Waypoint 74 #5, and Waypoint 54 #2. These samples were chosen because they were positive for organisms. Gram stain analysis is inconclusive and needs to be repeated. Without culturing the organisms, it is likely that the number of organisms is too few for the stain to be useful. However, this should not deter future crews from using the stain.

[[Category: MDRS Crew Reports]]