[meteorite-list] What are those blueberries on Mars?

From: (wrong string) ørn Sørheim <bsoerhei_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:22 2004
Message-ID: <200402141254.NAA28079_at_mail45-s.fg.online.no>

Charlie, Rosie and List,
The science team at JPL had left the idea that the outcrops
are sedimentary sandstones or conglomerates, as the layers
are too fine. They have two theories for the layered material:

1)Volcanic ash or
2)Windblown, very fine particles.

Btw, it was found that the layered material contained 2-3
times more sulphur than what have been measured elsewhere
in the crater. That was the latest results from the mini-TES.
They had no data from the 'round guys' as those were making
up only a couple of % of the material.
Oolites was also left out as an explanation, because what is
observed is a few round stones here and there between the layers,
whereas oolites are collections of a a large numbers of such
particles - if I got that right from the press briefing...

Concerning the round stones coming from melted volcanic or
impact melted material - it's a bit troubling that they are
so round, and only round! Why aren't they shaped like the tektites?
Could the answer to that be that the atmosphere of Mars is
much thinner than Earths? On the other hand, if they were
made far back in the past, Mars' atmosphere most probably
was much thicker...

Time will telll...
Bjørn Sørheim

At 04:27 14.02.04 -0500, you wrote:
>Rosie,
>Fantastic, and glad you replied. I was in Utah last year, and toured the
>Zion national park as well as Bryce and Escelante in the staircase. If
>you take the lower trails in Zion, you come across giant pieces of
>sandstone that have fallen down from the top peaks that are loaded with
>these "Moqui marbles. I even collected some (probably not legally). They
>are embedded in the sandstone and weather out in giant surface areas
>that are completely pebbled with these spherules. Amazing... and there
>are places on the web which talk about these and suggest that they are
>related to a probable impact area in Escalante (where most are said to
>have been found) ... I get that from researching what you just posted.
>Thanks for the insight! I have pictures of the surface of the sandstone
>slabs that are pebbled with these if anyone is interested. Thanks -
>
>CharlyV
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com
>[mailto:meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Rosemary
>Hackney
>Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 8:48 PM
>To: Charles Viau; 'Bjørn Sørheim'; meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What are those blueberries on Mars?
>
>Moqui marbles????
>
>Rosie
Received on Sat 14 Feb 2004 07:54:29 AM PST