[meteorite-list] Meteorites on Mars was "Color Picture From Spirit...."

From: Paul <lenticulina1_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:59 2004
Message-ID: <20040107135324.11872.qmail_at_web60806.mail.yahoo.com>

In the "meteorite-list] Color Picture
>From Spirit is Most Detailed View of
Mars Ever Seen", Charles Viau wrote:

>Holy canolli . Does this not look like a
>bonanza day on one of our dry lake
>expeditions.... a dream bonanza where
>there are meteorites everywhere!!!!!
>Is it possible that the darker,
>smoother rocks here on this plain
>are not from Mars at all?

It is an interesting idea for these
reasons:

1. Mars' thinner atmosphere means more
meteorites survive the fall though it
than on Earth.

2. The surface is tens if not hundreds of
millions of years older than any surface in
northwest Africa or any dry lake bed. Thus,
there is an enormous time for meteorites
to accumulate on it not found on Earth.

3. Little, if any water, and very low
temperatures mean that the weathering,
which destroys meteorites on Earth, is
almost nonexistent on that part of Mars.
Thus, once a meteorite falls, it
remains there for virtually forever.

It is a reasonable hypothesis that there
meteorites should be more abundant on
parts of Mars than anywhere on Earth.

does this mean some of out list members
will be planning a trip there soon? :-)

Yours,

Paul
Baton Rouge, LA


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Received on Wed 07 Jan 2004 08:53:24 AM PST