[meteorite-list] Serious question?

From: Philip R. Burns <pib_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:29:56 2004
Message-ID: <5.2.0.9.2.20030916155937.01fe10b0_at_pibburns.com>

At 01:48 PM 9/16/2003 -0700, you wrote:

>Hey list, If mars is red from dust covering the planet, why are the polar
>caps not red also? Wouldn't they be like giant cherry snowcones?

As it happens, the southern (thicker) polar cap on Mars IS slightly
red. Presumably the tint comes from oxidized dust blown by surface winds
and embedded into the dry ice which comprises most of the cap
material. The northern cap is much thinner and evaporates far more than
the southern cap on a seasonal basis, and so does not get a chance to build
up embedded layers of red dust.


-- Philip R. "Pib" Burns
    pib_at_pibburns.com
    http://www.pibburns.com/
Received on Tue 16 Sep 2003 05:05:00 PM PDT