[meteorite-list] Meteorites on Mars?

From: Philip R. Burns <pib_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:40 2004
Message-ID: <5.2.0.9.2.20030617211710.02ff1c08_at_pibburns.com>

At 11:32 PM 6/16/2003 -0600, you wrote:

>List:
>With all the Probes heading for Mars I have been pondering a bit on how
>"meteorites" on mars might differ from those on earth? How would an
>asteroid fragment react with the atmosphere of Mars with its different
>composition and density? Does the Martian atmosphere have enough density to
>stop an incoming fragment? Would the smaller mass and less gravitational
>attraction have any affect?

There are some folks studying this subject since microcratering on Mars may
have had an important role in modifying the Martian surface. Objects < 1
kg may partly survive passage through the thin Martian atmosphere and
impact the surface at high enough speed to form a crater less than a meter
in diameter.

See, for example:

Atmospheric Entry and Survival of Small Meteorites on Mars. W. C.
Rochelle, B. Kirk, N. SMith, M. DeVall, and F. Hoerz. _Lunar and Planetary
Science XXX_, March 15-29, 1999.


-- Philip R. "Pib" Burns
    pib_at_pibburns.com
    http://www.pibburns.com/
Received on Tue 17 Jun 2003 10:24:58 PM PDT