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Re: Mars Meteorites

>Okay, this is what got me started. Before heading out for work at an  ungodly
>hour this morning, I was flicking through a recent SKY &  TELESCOPE, and
>opened up the wonderful Pathfinder panoramic landscape  they produced. Amazing
>picture, breathtaking... And as I looked at it,  picking out Yogi and the
>other named rocks, I found myself thinking  "There MUST be some meteorites
>there... right there on that flood  plain..!" And there have to be, right? I
>mean, think about it. Mars  has a thinner atmosphere than Earth's, so many
>more meteoroids will  make it to the surface intact, and although the iron
>rich older  meteorites will have suffered in the oxidising climate there will
>be  plenty of younger irons, and some pretty big stones there too I'd  bet...

Yes, there were a variety of rocks observed at the Mars Pathfinder
landing site, including probable ejecta from a nearby crater.  Here's
an excerpt from a July 6 Mars Pathfinder status report (just 2 days
after landing):

   Scientists pointed out other interesting rocks, soil deposits and
   features on the horizon in this evening's press briefing. A pair of mountain
   peaks, nicknamed "Twin Peaks," revealed ribbons of different colored rock.
   Scientists noted that the horizontal bands could be sedimentary layers or
   terraces cut by erosion. Angular rocks appearing in the foreground, all
   leaning in the same direction, suggest they were ejected from a nearby
   impact crater. A variety of smooth round rocks suggested that they were
   transported by water in Mars' early evolution.

Ron Baalke
Mars Pathfinder Team Member