Tag Archives: weathering

Martian surface: icy, cold, and dry for 4 billion years

Maybe the warm and wet environment on early Mars that scientists have long proposed wasn’t at the surface, but rather buried in the crust. That’s one of the conclusions of a new review that looks at Martian clay minerals and … Continue reading

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Can melting snow make small holes in Mars rocks?

Many rocks on the surface of Mars show pits and small holes. One way such pits can form is when gas-rich lava erupts; the pits, called “vesicles,” form when gas escapes from the lava as it’s cooling. Wind-driven sand can … Continue reading

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Meteorites: Keys to bygone Mars climates

The sky falls on Mars, too, just as it does sometimes on Earth. In its long crosscountry drive over the pool table expanse of Meridiani Planum, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has encountered more than a dozen meteorites, all of them … Continue reading

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