Geology on Mars
What can it tell us?Part 1
On the right is an artist's drawing of Curiosity in Gale Crater. The layered rock can be seen in the background.
What must be present for sedimentary rock to form?
Scientists believe that the layers of rock offer a look back in time. Explain why.
On the left is a picture, taken by Curiosity , September 2012, of a type of rock found on Mars. The size of such pebbles makes it unlikely that they were deposited and polished by wind.
What is this type of rock called?
What can we conclude from the existence of polished pebbles in the rock formations?
What is the average size of the pebbles?
What can we conclude from the size of pebbles?
This type of rock is produced in
A feature of the Martian surface the Valles Marineris, is the longest and deepest canyon in the solar system. It is 4,000 kilometers long..
Scientists believe that it is a plate boundary, with horizontal motion. This is very similar to the Earth’s Dead Sea fault system, which is also moving horizontally.”
What does this tell us about the surface of Mars?
