After the RAT

The RAT has produced a nice cross-section of a Mars Blueberry. To my
eye, it looks to be layered, not concentrically, but rather in a
linear way, which happens to be parallel to the top/bottom of the
image frame.

I think this conclusively eliminates the lapilli hypothesis, as the
are layered concentrically. Also, lapilli seem to be show up in
matrix material similar to what there are composed of. The
Blueberries are much harder than the matrix material.

Perhaps there were vesicles in the matrix material that were filled in
by liquid which allowed mineral to precipitate, layer by layer, to
form the blueberries. Is there a "geo"logical process like this that
someone can point me too on the web?

Cheers

--Fred

Greg Crinklaw wrote in message ...
Our first look into a mars rock at the Opportunity site.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/m/030/1M130859762EFF0454P2959M2M1.JPG


Close up:
www.skyhound.com/dl/wtf.jpg

Comments?

--
Greg Crinklaw
Astronomical Software Developer
Cloudcroft, New Mexico, USA (33N, 106W, 2700m)

SkyTools Software for the Observer:
http://www.skyhound.com/cs.html

Skyhound Observing Pages:
http://www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html

To reply remove spleen

In article ,
Fred K. wrote:
The RAT has produced a nice cross-section of a Mars Blueberry. To my
eye, it looks to be layered, not concentrically, but rather in a
linear way, which happens to be parallel to the top/bottom of the
image frame.

Horizontal layering? If you're referring to the lower spherule, those
are likely scratch marks from the RAT:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...20040225a.html

I think this conclusively eliminates the lapilli hypothesis, as the
are layered concentrically. Also, lapilli seem to be show up in
matrix material similar to what there are composed of. The
Blueberries are much harder than the matrix material.

You mean "not layered concentrically", right? But, if the layers are
just scratches then lapilli are back in the running for now?

Perhaps there were vesicles in the matrix material that were filled in
by liquid which allowed mineral to precipitate, layer by layer, to
form the blueberries. Is there a "geo"logical process like this that
someone can point me too on the web?

Time will tell.
--
Hud Nordin Silicon Valley

In article ,
Fred K. wrote:
The RAT has produced a nice cross-section of a Mars Blueberry. To my
eye, it looks to be layered, not concentrically, but rather in a
linear way, which happens to be parallel to the top/bottom of the
image frame.

From http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...20040225a.html :

"By overlaying appropriately scaled representations of the rock
abrasion tool schematics, the evidence reveals a strong indication
that the scrapes on the blueberry were induced by the tool, rather
than caused by some natural geologic process."

Jon
__@/

"Fred K." wrote in message
m...
The RAT has produced a nice cross-section of a Mars Blueberry. To my
eye, it looks to be layered, not concentrically, but rather in a
linear way, which happens to be parallel to the top/bottom of the
image frame.

I think this conclusively eliminates the lapilli hypothesis, as the
are layered concentrically.

"The scrapes on the bottom right blueberry appear to be caused by the fact
that the berry got dislodged slightly and its surface was scraped with the
grinding pad."
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...20040225a.html

Here is a broken spherule showing concentric layers:
http://www.copperas.com/astro/capsphere2.jpg

Joe

Correction:
The RAT tool has produced the apparent "layers" I saw in the image. I
still don't see the concentic layering I'd expect with lapilli.

What explaination would explain the large number of the blueberries
seen, and their relatively uniform size? I would think that vessicles
in the rock would be more variable in size.




(Fred K.) wrote in message om...
The RAT has produced a nice cross-section of a Mars Blueberry. To my
eye, it looks to be layered, not concentrically, but rather in a
linear way, which happens to be parallel to the top/bottom of the
image frame.

I think this conclusively eliminates the lapilli hypothesis, as the
are layered concentrically. Also, lapilli seem to be show up in
matrix material similar to what there are composed of. The
Blueberries are much harder than the matrix material.

Perhaps there were vesicles in the matrix material that were filled in
by liquid which allowed mineral to precipitate, layer by layer, to
form the blueberries. Is there a "geo"logical process like this that
someone can point me too on the web?

Cheers

--Fred

Greg Crinklaw wrote in message ...
Our first look into a mars rock at the Opportunity site.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/m/030/1M130859762EFF0454P2959M2M1.JPG


Close up:
www.skyhound.com/dl/wtf.jpg

Comments?

--
Greg Crinklaw
Astronomical Software Developer
Cloudcroft, New Mexico, USA (33N, 106W, 2700m)

SkyTools Software for the Observer:
http://www.skyhound.com/cs.html

Skyhound Observing Pages:
http://www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html

To reply remove spleen

"Fred K." wrote in message
m...
The RAT has produced a nice cross-section of a Mars Blueberry. To my
eye, it looks to be layered, not concentrically, but rather in a
linear way, which happens to be parallel to the top/bottom of the
image frame.

---clip---

I believe that the conclusion from the analysis on the MER site is that the
apparent layering you're seeing was the cutting marks produced by the RAT
grinder, not natural processes. See "Grinding Wheel Profile" at
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...20040225a.html .

JJ Robinson II
Houston, TX
****************
* JOKE *
****************
* SERIOUS *
****************
* SARCASTIC *
****************
* OTHER? *
****************

Fred K. wrote:

The RAT has produced a nice cross-section of a Mars Blueberry.
To my eye, it looks to be layered, not concentrically, but
rather
in a linear way, which happens to be parallel to the top/bottom
of the image frame.

Far more likely to be an artefact of the grinding process,
surely?

"Fred K." wrote in message
m...
The RAT has produced a nice cross-section of a Mars Blueberry.
---clip---

Wow! That exchange was embarassing---It's a good thing only a dozen or so
of us made the same observation almost simultaneously.

JJ Robinson II
Houston, TX
****************
* JOKE *
****************
* SERIOUS *
****************
* SARCASTIC*
****************
* OTHER? *
****************