MARSTESSVIDEO

Geology of Mars Winter Quarter 2011 By: Tess Holloway:

Geology of Mars Winter Quarter 2011 By: Tess Holloway

Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer:

Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer If you would like to learn more about the instrumentation used on Mars Global Surveyor follow this link: http://mgs-mager.gsfc.nasa.gov/Kids/instruments.html#MAGER

Crustal Dichotomy of Mars:

Crustal Dichotomy of Mars Northern Lowlands Southern Highlands

Slide 6:

Mars Geologic Period Relative Age Noachian ~4.5 – 3.6 Ga (Billion Years Ago) Hesperian ~3.6- 1.8 Ga (Billion Years Ago) Amazonian ~1.8 Ga – Present Day

Composition of the Martian Crust:

Composition of the Martian Crust

Volcanism on Mars:

Volcanism on Mars

Water on Mars:

Water on Mars

Oceans on Mars?:

Oceans on Mars?

Slide 11:

Is Life Possible on Mars during present day? Doesn’t seem likely!!!

Life on Mars:

Life on Mars Life as we currently know on Earth requires certain environments to survive. There are organisms on Earth which have been found to survive in harsh environments where temperatures are very cold or very hot, or where there is little H2O or Oxygen. As we learn more about organisms that have strategies to live under harsh environmental conditions, it seems plausible that life could exist on other planets. Until we have more evidence we cannot completely rule out the possibility.

What we think life requires:

What we think life requires Warm Temperatures: In order for chemical reactions to take place for the existence of life to be sustained, there needs to be a certain range of temperatures. Extreme temperature variations are not thought to be conducive to life. Water? Protections from radiation & UV: Harmful radiation easily penetrates the surface of Mars due to its thin atmosphere and lack of a magnetic field. High levels of radiation and UV are detrimental to cells and DNA.

Sources for Photos:

Sources for Photos http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rpi.edu/research/magazine/fall2007/image/earth-mars-venus.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.rpi.edu/research/magazine/fall2007/argon-2.html&usg=__VwCZ6-I4oSsv_nUnUj6YgadL10U=&h=330&w=924&sz=64&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=RPHcuGMoqZhT-M:&tbnh=61&tbnw=172&ei=MOaATcevD47ogQf0hr2eCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3DFormation%2Bof%2BMars%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1440%26bih%3D707%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=703&vpy=131&dur=358&hovh=61&hovw=172&tx=230&ty=81&oei=MOaATcevD47ogQf0hr2eCA&page=1&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0 http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/images/br_PIA02653-br2.jpg