Images from Curiosity have spotted some unexpected geology in Gale Crater.
Images from Curiosity have spotted some unexpected geology in Gale Crater.
A mosaic of high-definition images of Mount Sharp, the central peak dominating the landing site at Gale Crater, reveals tilted strata never before seen on Mars. The strata dip downwards at an angle close to that of the slope of the foothills of the 18,000-ft. tall mountain within which they are formed.
“The cool thing is the cameras have discovered something we were unaware of,” says mission chief scientist John Grotzinger. “This thing jumped out at us as being very different to what we expected,” he adds. Lying in the low-lying foothills beyond the dune field between the rover and the base of Mount Sharp, the inclined layers are a “spectacular feature” that could not be seen from orbit.
I think there are two reasons these tilted layers are puzzling scientists.
First, Mt. Sharp is the central peak of a crater, meaning that it formed practically instantly as a result of an impact. The layers however suggest a long geological process, laid down over eons. How then do you get slowly formed layers in an instantly formed crater peak?
Second, the incline suggests that some later geological event, either slow or fast, caused the layers to tilt after they were in place. It appears, however, that the scientists had not identified any evidence of such a geological event in their prior studies of Gale Crater. What was it?
All told, this surprising new data only proves one thing above all, that no one should ever be surprised by new data that comes down from space. The universe is a wonderful place, and it will always show us unexpected things, if we go and look.
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Images from Curiosity have spotted some unexpected geology in Gale Crater.
A mosaic of high-definition images of Mount Sharp, the central peak dominating the landing site at Gale Crater, reveals tilted strata never before seen on Mars. The strata dip downwards at an angle close to that of the slope of the foothills of the 18,000-ft. tall mountain within which they are formed.
“The cool thing is the cameras have discovered something we were unaware of,” says mission chief scientist John Grotzinger. “This thing jumped out at us as being very different to what we expected,” he adds. Lying in the low-lying foothills beyond the dune field between the rover and the base of Mount Sharp, the inclined layers are a “spectacular feature” that could not be seen from orbit.
I think there are two reasons these tilted layers are puzzling scientists.
First, Mt. Sharp is the central peak of a crater, meaning that it formed practically instantly as a result of an impact. The layers however suggest a long geological process, laid down over eons. How then do you get slowly formed layers in an instantly formed crater peak?
Second, the incline suggests that some later geological event, either slow or fast, caused the layers to tilt after they were in place. It appears, however, that the scientists had not identified any evidence of such a geological event in their prior studies of Gale Crater. What was it?
All told, this surprising new data only proves one thing above all, that no one should ever be surprised by new data that comes down from space. The universe is a wonderful place, and it will always show us unexpected things, if we go and look.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
I’m re-reading Chaikin’s “A Man on the Moon”, and I just finished the chapter about Apollo 16 and Young and Duke’s exploration of Descartes. That mission, and this new find on Mars, show the value of finding what you DON’T expect. If we KNEW what was there, we wouldn’t need to explore it, would we? Go Curiosity!