Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity:
Amazing Soil Samples from Across the Martian Surface
Latest news from the Mars Exploration Rovers
The martian soil in this 1.2-inch by 1.2-inch microscopic image was named Lanikai by the JPL team after Hawaii's white sand beaches. It is a fine-grained soil with irregular, light-colored, 0.04-inch particles. The parrticles are angular and less-rounded than some other martian soils in Eagle Crater.
Photo by Mars exploration rover Opportunity
image credit: NASA/JPL click image to enlarge
The martian soil in this 1.2-inch by 1.2-inch microscopic image was named Punaluu by the JPL team after the black sand beaches of Hawaii. The largest particles are similar to those seen in the outcropping of bedrock in Eagle Crater. There also are some smaller, more irregular rounded particles that probably had been carried along by wind. While examining this patch, the rover's Moessbauer spectrometer pushed some of the particles into the surrounding fine-grained sand.
Photo by Mars exploration rover Opportunity
image credit: NASA/JPL click image to enlarge
The martian soil in this 1.2-inch by 1.2-inch microscopic image from the the Neopolitan area of Eagle Crater is called Cookies and Cream. It has a mixture of light and dark soil elements with several different types of particles held in surrounding fine-grained sands – rounded spheres, angular, irregular fragments containing what may be small cavities, and small, rounded particles about 0.04 inches in size.
Photo by Mars exploration rover Opportunity
image credit: NASA/JPL click image to enlarge
The martian soil in this 1.2-inch by 1.2-inch microscopic image from the the Neopolitan area of Eagle Crater is called Vanilla. The small grains are about 0.04 inches or less in size and somewhat lighter in color than those in other soil elements found in the crater. While measuring this patch, the rover's Moessbauer spectrometer pressed some of the grains into the surrounding finer-grained soil.
Photo by Mars exploration rover Opportunity
image credit: NASA/JPL click image to enlarge
This mosaic of microscopic images includes six types of soil found in Eagle Crater by the rover Opportunity. Each picture covers an area about 0.8 inches by 0.8 inches.
Punaluu has the largest particles. They are similar to those seen in Eagle Crater outcropping of bedrock. There also are smaller, more irregular rounded particles that probably were carried there by the wind.
Lanikai is a finer-grain soil with irregularly shaped, light-colored, 0.04 inch particles. They are more angular and less-rounded the particles elsewhere in the crater.
Neopolitan is a border area between two different types of soil. A lighter, finer-grained particle is on the left, and a darker, coarser-grained particle is on the right.
Cookies and Cream is a mixture of light and dark soil particles in the Neopolitan area. There are several different types of particles held in surrounding fine-grained sands – rounded spheres, angular, irregular fragments with small cavities and smaller 0.04 inch rounded particles.
Vanilla has small grains at 0.04 inch or less in size and somewhat lighter in color than those in other particles observed in Eagle Crater.
Mudpie is representative of soils found lower in the crater, away from the bedrock outcrop. It has spheres and irregularly shaped cavities in a dark sand.
Brian's Choice in the Black Forest area has irregularly shaped particles, which are low in hematite content. according to readings by the rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Presumably, the particles in this area are more affected by winds since they are on the outer part of Eagle Crater. They may have been re-distributed frequently by wind.
Photo by Mars exploration rover Opportunity
image credit: NASA/JPL click image to enlarge
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