However, due to this drought, many surface features of Mars have been preserved. Mars reconnaissance orbiter mission shows that due to this geographical environment, the spacecraft has made many interesting discoveries in the reconnaissance mission on Mars.
We can look at the photos taken by Curiosity's high-resolution scientific experimental equipment. This photo was taken when Curiosity hovered over Copernicus Crater on Mars.
This photo shows some raindrops on the surface of Mars. These raindrops are actually sand dunes rich in olivine. This kind of olivine sand dune is also found on the earth, because this mineral is relatively rare because it is weathered quickly and becomes clay under wet conditions.
Geologists use olivine to describe a group of rock-forming minerals found in magmatic rocks. The chemical combination of silicate contained in olivine with magnesium or iron will appear green, hence the name of this mineral.
Olivine on the earth usually exists in black igneous rocks, and it is one of the first minerals to crystallize after magma is slowly cooled.
(NASA /JPL/ University of Arizona)
However, as the pictures taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show, it is rare to find so many sand dunes containing olivine deposits on the earth. This is because olivine is a weakly stable common mineral on the earth's surface. When it meets water, it will react quickly and become an iddingsite composed of clay minerals, iron oxide and hydroxide.
However, olivine deposits can be found on meteorites, the moon, Mars, and even on Zheshui asteroid (discovered by Hayato in Japan in 2005). Since asteroids and meteorites are mostly residual materials produced during the formation of the solar system, it also means that olivine minerals exist during the formation of the solar system.
In addition, the discovery of iddingsite on Mars and the moon is a strong proof of the existence of liquid water. By studying olivine deposits and their derivatives, scientists may be able to determine when the surface of Mars changed from liquid water to drought.
At the same time, the discovery of these olivine dunes is also evidence that some structural features of Mars are well preserved. If there is the same wind and hydraulic erosion on Mars as on Earth, Copernicus Crater will soon become an area rich in clay minerals.
The similarities and differences between Mars and the Earth have always fascinated us.
The latest evidence shows that the mysterious dark stripes observed on the walls of some craters on the surface of Mars may be related to the intermittent appearance of liquid water. The picture shows the dark zone observed in Chasma, meras, meras.
Copernicus crater may have formed 3 billion years ago. There are other smaller craters at its bottom, the most striking of which is the formation of internal ditches, which means that there may have been running water in this area in the past. There are many small canals in the crater; They are another evidence of the existence of liquid water. According to the formation, appearance, location and orientation of the canals in the crater, and the obvious surface characteristics of water ice formation, many scholars believe that the formation of these canals is related to liquid water.
In any case, the research on Mars is still active. Once these ditches were discovered, the researchers began to take repeated images of many ditches to find out possible changes. By 2006, some ditches had changed. Further research later shows that these ditches may be formed by quicksand, not running water. With continuous research and observation, researchers found that the gullies in Gasca are more different from other craters.
Some traces of winter frost can be seen near the edge of this ancient Martian crater, which is blue in this color enhanced image. The long life of MRO detector enables it to track and observe the seasonal and even interannual changes in these areas.
Author matt williams
autumn
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