Tag Archives: gypsum

Hardened arteries in Nili and Nilo

Water seeping through conduits and cracks in the deep subsurface rocks of Nilosyrtis and Nili Fossae left behind minerals, like hard-water deposits that collect in the plumbing of your house. (Or cholesterol in your arteries.) Then as the softer rocks … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mars Rover Opportunity explores Cape York

Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity reached the south end of Cape York, a segment of the rim of Endeavour Crater about 700 meters (2,300 feet) long, on August 9, 2011. Scientists and engineers examined several targets there before driving the rover … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ice cap winds spread polar gypsum

The north polar cap of Mars is surrounded by a vast dune field, about as large as Earth’s Kalahari Desert, that contains extensive deposits of gypsum. The gypsum’s origin has been debated since the mineral was discovered in 2005, yet … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Opportunity discovers water-precipitated gypsum at Cape York

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found thumb-wide veins of gypsum in a rock layer at Cape York, the Endeavour Cater rim segment where it will spend the coming Martian winter. The discovery was announced at the fall meeting of … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment