Studies of the evolution and current state of other terrestrial planets provides an elegant context for understanding our own planet. Here, you will learn about and then use varied data collected by robotic rovers, Earth-based telescopes and orbiting satellites to investigate aspects of the present-day geology, hydrology, geomorphology, geodynamics and climate of Mars. You will read 4 papers that really define what is “exploration science”. A key lesson through this exercise is that it is the nature and resolution of the observations that we make that determine the kinds of “what” and “why” questions we can ask. In this case, remarkable sets of spacecraft observations have enabled some truly profound stories for the evolution and climate of Mars and reinforced fundamental differences to our own planet. Oddly enough, although all the inner solar system planets were products from much the same process, a defining feature is that they are each different from the next. This observation is every bit as profound as it sounds.
Learning Goals for This Module
Students will be able to:
- Use “mind maps” and/or “concept maps” to identify, organize and build understanding of the questions, methods, results and problem-solving strategies that underlie scientific papers of increasing complexity. Papers may be provocative or contentious, which makes the process of “breaking them down” to their core elements (question asked, problem definition and solution strategy, results, discussion, conclusions) challenging. Mind and concept maps are powerful agents for seeing though stories to the results on which they rely.
- Generate better abstracts.
- Continue to improve on the precision of their questions and on their ability to articulate the goals of their questions in plain language.
- Give examples of specific and varied constraints on the character of Mars’ current and past hydrological cycles. Find evidence for two stories: "dry/cold" and "wet/warm(er)” environments have existed, or do exist, on Mars's surface.
- Use varied data presented on maps to distinguish and discuss models for Mars’ history of surface water, ice and groundwater flow.
Reading
Christensen: The Many Faces of Mars
Baker: Water and the Martian landscape
Ehlmann: Subsurface water and clay formation during the early history of Mars
Grau Galofre: Valley formation on early Mars by subglacial and fluvial erosion
Mars’ Punctuated History
Potential channel-outflow deposits?
Mars’ “polar layered” deposits from the MOC camera
Mars’ cloud structure from the Phoenix lander
