"If a comet or asteroid were big enough, could it collide with Earth and subsequently alter its orbit? "
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Seminar Detail
The Origin of Sulfate-rich Bedrock at Meridiani Planum on Mars: Sedimentary Evaporite, Impact, or Volcanic?
Presenter: Tom McCollom ()
February 27, 2006 11:00 AM Pacific
The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Opportunity has now explored bedrock exposed within several craters on Meridiani Planum on Mars. The MER team has interpreted the rocks to be sedimentary deposits composed of a combination of siliciclastic materials derived from basalt and sulfate salts precipitated from evaporation of intruding groundwater brines, with reworking of the deposits by eolian and fluvial processes. More recently, alternative scenarios have emerged suggesting the bedrocks may instead be attributable to a giant impact or emplacement of volcanic ash deposits that were subsequently altered by reaction with sulfur-rich volcanic vapors. Each of these alternatives has substantially different implications for the astrobiological potential of this location on Mars. This talk will review the three current hypotheses concerning the origin of the bedrock, and discuss how each scenario accounts for the MER observations including bulk chemistry, mineralogy, scale, and presence of bedding features.
Participation Instructions
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Please forward this information to your colleagues and departments, attendance is open to all. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.December 21, 2007
Team Overview Seminars: Each of the NAI teams will be giving one hour overview seminars that describe the work they will be performing as members of the NAI. These seminars, which will be broadcast via videoconference and web, will provide an opportunity to find out more about the science, EPO and other activities being performed by the NAI teams.
The Director’s Seminar series features talks from scientists who are invited by the NAI Director to present their research results to the community. A primary goal of the seminars is to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration across NAI teams and within the astrobiology community at large. These seminars are open to all, including the general public; however, the target audience is researchers and students who are engaged in astrobiology. While the seminars are technical in nature, speakers are encouraged to develop presentations that can be understood by colleagues from a variety of disciplines across the field. The talks are typically 50 minutes long, with time at the end for questions and discussion.
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