DOCSLIB.ORG

Stop 1 Introduction: Hello, My Name Is Shannon and I’M Tod and We're Instructors at Okanagan College in Penticton, British Columbia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Stop 1 Introduction: Hello, my name is Shannon and I’m Tod and we're instructors at Okanagan college in Penticton, British Columbia. We're going to be your leaders on a virtual tour of geomorphological features of the south Okanagan. So we're gonna learn why the landscape looks the way it does today. So we're gonna, we're gonna, visit sites that demonstrate glacial and fluvial processes, some weathering, plate tectonics, faulting all sorts of good stuff. All of the different um processes that have come together to create the beautiful south Okanagan landscape that so many people enjoy today you. Words on video: We respectfully acknowledge that this field trip takes place on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan people. The Syilx Okanagan people have taken care of their homelands for thousands of years. We are respectful of the Syilx Okanagan people, their knowledge, language, and history, as well as their ongoing relationship to the land and natural world. To learn more about Syilx Okanagan people, their homelands, governance, and of special interest to fieldtrip, their relationship to water, please visit https://www.syilx.org/. 1 Stop 2 Munson Mountain [00:03] We're starting our field tour up on top of Munson Mountain, which unbeknownst to most people is a volcano. “What?” I hear you ask, “There's a volcano in Penticton?” Mhhmm. The cool thing about this volcano though is that it wasn't actually formed here, it was formed much further to the east. Well how on earth did it get here? Another question we want to answer, why is Okanagan Lake where it is today? Why does the Okanagan valley have the shape that it does? Well to start telling this story we have to go far back in time to the formation of British Columbia. British Columbia was formed by the process called accretion of terrains. Volcanic island arcs off the coast were pushed by a plate tectonics up onto the North American Crater. In doing so we created these north-south trending valleys, one of which is the Okanagan valley. Now the Okanagan valley actually came into being when those pushing forces relaxed. At that point in time we also got this volcanic activity which created Munson Mountain. As I said though Munson Mountain wasn't created where it is located today. Instead, it was further to the east, again closer in time to today we had other movements. Uplift to the east which pushed some of those volcanic features um to slide down off to the west. Now the Okanagan valley, it sits at the boundary between two major geologic belts the um the intermontane belt to the left and the omnica belt to the right or to the east sorry, the ominica belts to the east and the intermontane belt is to the left. This is the major reason why we have such different types of rocks on the east side of Okanagan Lake compared to the west side. [02:03] Words on screen: A bit more detail on the plate tectonic action. Let's take a look at the formation of B.C. in a little more detail. So, this all occurred during the Jurassic period which lasted from 180 to 60 million years ago. At this time the North American craton, basically it ends at the Rockies where Alberta, is was moving to the west. At the same time an intermontane super terrain had gathered together off the coast from a series of volcanic island arcs was heading east. When these two masses crashed into each other material that had been on the seafloor off the coast of the craton was pushed up to form the Rocky Mountains. With the forces involved in the intermontane, the intermontane super terrain smashing into the craton the ominica belt, so the region sitting closest to the craton, was metamorphosed. [03:19] During an ear scene from 55 to 34 million years ago we saw a major change in the forces that were being applied to our area of interest. Instead of being compressed we had relaxation off to the west here. With this crustal relaxation and crustal thinning, we got a lot of volcanic activity. At the same time the climate was a lot wetter and so large river systems developed. It was large paleo river systems, such as those that contributed to the White Lake formation. During this time the Penticton group volcanics were also developed. So, these are interlayered formations of material deposited by volcanic eruptions covered up by paleo river deposits covered up again by volcanic eruptions. [04:20] It was during the Oligocene 36 to 24 million years ago that the Okanagan fault finally pulled apart to create the Okanagan Valley. Two forces combined, uplift of the Okanagan metamorphic complex which created the Monashee Mountains and this continued tensional force pulling off to the west. The result was the Penticton group volcanics, the volcanic and sedimentary formations that had been sitting on top of the metamorphics, slid off to the west 2 leaving stranded on the east side of the lake Munson Mountain. Now I say east side of the lake because in the south Okanagan the Okanagan fault runs pretty much straight through the center of the valley, which is straight through the middle of the lake. Now the Okanagan fault is a normal fault, the foot wall rose. [05:16] Words on screen: Back to the view... Before we move on let's do a 360 tour of all the different places that we can see from here many of these you'll visit as you go through your field trip today. So starting to the north behind me we have the beautiful Narramata bench, which is some very delicious wine growing on top of some sediments deposited by glacial processes. Further into the distance um you can see Okanagan Mountain Park. Moving around the very deep um rather large Okanagan Lake which runs all the way from north of Vernon down here to Penticton. On the west side of Okanagan Lake you'll notice a number of features that look um smooth on one side and like little drop-offs on the other. So one of the most famous is Giant's Head moving further around we have Mount Nkwala. Now both of these were formed by a combination of volcanic and glacial processes. Underneath um closer down to the lake you see the silt cliffs again deposited by glacial processes. Moving around even further sitting down here on this very, very flat area we have Penticton itself in full bloom in these lovely fall colors. In the distance, you see the other lake that we have sandwiching us here in Penticton, Skaha Lake. Now once upon a time, Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake were one lake and you'll learn in a different field stop how Penticton itself came to be where it is. Moving all the way around here to the east we have Campbell Mountain famous as a local very excellent place to go mountain biking provided you can stay on the trails. Also, home, not so much a geomorphological feature but very important to the local community is the landfill, enjoy. 3 Stop 3 Giants Head [00:05] Welcome back to our tour of the south Okanagan. At this stop we're looking across the lake so we're up above uh the village of Naramata and the Naramata bench looking across at a feature called Giant's Head. Giant's Head is an extinct dacite dome volcano erupted in the Eocene um and it has been highly modified by glacial activity, it's shape. So we're going to zoom in a bit on Giant's Head here so we can look at its shape. All right, so um this area was glaciated, as we all know, glaciers flowed from the north to the south and we can see on the north side, the right side, of giant's head here we have um a fairly gentle and smooth slope leading up to the summit. Whereas on the left side or south side we have essentially a cliff a very steep, steep slope and this is a function of the way that glaciers as they're flowing interact with obstacles in their path and in this case it creates a feature called a roche moutonnée. [01:14] So what happens is we have ice flowing in from the right um, from the north, it encounters this obstacle and that increases the pressure at the base of the ice. This pressure increase causes a decrease in the pressure melting point allowing the ice to to melt at temperatures below zero, which means we get liquid water on the bottom. Allows the glacier to flow over top um with sort of a little bit less erosive power; and then as it crests the summit and starts going over that pressure is released and the um ice refreezes or the pressure decreases and the ice refreezes and it can pluck out chunks of rock um, resulting in this very steep face. [02:09] We can also see I'm just going to zoom out whoops zoom out here, that these features are pretty common in this area. So just to the south of Giants Head we see another similar um feature and then as we're looking back south towards Penticton, we have Separatist Mountain and Mount Nkwala that both show these same shapes. 4 Stop 4 A Glacial Erratic [00:05] Good morning, welcome to another beautiful spring day in the Okanagan.
Recommended publications
  • Wildlife Information for Commercial Backcountry Recreation Opportunities in the North Central Monashee Mountains

    Wildlife Information for Commercial Backcountry Recreation Opportunities in the North Central Monashee Mountains

    WILDLIFE INFORMATION FOR COMMERCIAL BACKCOUNTRY RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NORTH CENTRAL MONASHEE MOUNTAINS 1.0 INTRODUCTION Amongst the wide variety of wildlife residing in the North Central Monashee Mountains are rare, threatened or endangered species as well as species of special management emphasis. Color code status has been assigned to species to indicate their vulnerability. Red listed: Includes any indigenous species or subspecies (taxa) considered to be Extirpated, Endangered, or Threatened in British Columbia. Blue listed: Includes any indigenous species or subspecies (taxa) considered to be Vulnerable in British Columbia. Special Management: Includes species which are not red or blue listed but are particularly sensitive to a variety of disturbances and require additional management emphasis. Backcountry recreation has the potential to impact wildlife and wildlife habitat, depending on the location, time of year, intensity, frequency and type of backcountry recreation activity. However, with thorough planning, impacts to wildlife from commercial backcountry recreation can be mitigated. 2.0 COMMERCIAL BACKCOUNTRY RECREATION GUIDELINES During 2000, the Ministry of Environment recognized the need for province-wide commercial backcountry recreation guidelines to address wildlife concerns and allow ministry staff to be provincially consistent in their evaluation of backcountry recreation proposals. The draft provincial guidelines are currently under review, and interim guidelines entitled Expanded Kootenay Region Interim Wildlife Guidelines for Commercial Backcountry Recreation in British Columbia (http://www.elp.gov.bc.ca/wld/comrec/crecintro.html) have been established. The guidelines will assist commercial backcountry operators and government agency staff in protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat while sustaining ecotourism and adventure travel in British Columbia.
  • Interpretations of Gravity Anomalies at Olympus Mons, Mars: Intrusions, Impact Basins, and Troughs

    Interpretations of Gravity Anomalies at Olympus Mons, Mars: Intrusions, Impact Basins, and Troughs

    Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIII (2002) 2024.pdf INTERPRETATIONS OF GRAVITY ANOMALIES AT OLYMPUS MONS, MARS: INTRUSIONS, IMPACT BASINS, AND TROUGHS. P. J. McGovern, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston TX 77058-1113, USA, ([email protected]). Summary. New high-resolution gravity and topography We model the response of the lithosphere to topographic loads data from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission allow a re- via a thin spherical-shell flexure formulation [9, 12], obtain- ¡g examination of compensation and subsurface structure models ing a model Bouguer gravity anomaly ( bÑ ). The resid- ¡g ¡g ¡g bÓ bÑ in the vicinity of Olympus Mons. ual Bouguer anomaly bÖ (equal to - ) can be Introduction. Olympus Mons is a shield volcano of enor- mapped to topographic relief on a subsurface density interface, using a downward-continuation filter [11]. To account for the mous height (> 20 km) and lateral extent (600-800 km), lo- cated northwest of the Tharsis rise. A scarp with height up presence of a buried basin, we expand the topography of a hole Ö h h ¼ ¼ to 10 km defines the base of the edifice. Lobes of material with radius and depth into spherical harmonics iÐÑ up h with blocky to lineated morphology surround the edifice [1-2]. to degree and order 60. We treat iÐÑ as the initial surface re- Such deposits, known as the Olympus Mons aureole deposits lief, which is compensated by initial relief on the crust mantle =´ µh c Ñ c (hereinafter abbreviated as OMAD), are of greatest extent to boundary of magnitude iÐÑ . These interfaces the north and west of the edifice.
  • Uranium-Lead Age Constraints and Structural Analysis

    Uranium-Lead Age Constraints and Structural Analysis

    Uranium-Lead Age Constraints and Structural Analysis for the Ruddock Creek Zinc-Lead Deposit: Insight into the Tectonic Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Metalliferous Windermere Supergroup, Northern Monashee Mountains, Southern British Columbia (NTS 082M) L.M. Theny, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, [email protected] H.D. Gibson, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC J.L. Crowley, Boise State University, Boise, ID Theny, L.M., Gibson, H.D. and Crowley, J.L. (2015): Uranium-lead age constraints and structural analysis for the Ruddock Creek zinc- lead deposit: insight into the tectonic evolution of the Neoproterozoic metalliferous Windermere Supergroup, northern Monashee Moun- tains, southern British Columbia (NTS 082M); in Geoscience BC Summary of Activities 2014, Geoscience BC, Report 2015-1, p. 151– 164. Introduction syenite gneiss and syenite gneiss occur as concordant lay- ers within the calcsilicate gneiss. Pegmatite and granitoid The Ruddock Creek property (Figure 1) is situated within intrusions account for approximately 50% of the overall the Windermere Supergroup of the northern Monashee outcrop (Fyles, 1970; Scammell, 1993; Höy, 2001). The Mountains of British Columbia. Structurally, the Ruddock metasedimentary rocks are thought to belong to the Creek property is interpreted to reside within the base of the Windermere Supergroup (Scammell, 1993), which is an Selkirk allochthon, in the immediate hanging wall of the important stratigraphic succession in the North American Monashee décollement, a crustal-scale, thrust-sense duc- Cordillera interpreted to have been originally deposited tile shear zone. Crustal thickening associated with poly- along the rifted western margin of Laurentia during Neo- phase deformation involved at least three episodes of proterozoic time (Gabrielse, 1972; Stewart, 1972, 1976; superposed folding of rocks in the region and two prograde Burchfield and Davis, 1975; Stewart and Suczek, 1977; metamorphic events (Fyles, 1970; Scammell and Brown, Monger and Price, 1979; Eisbacher, 1981; Scammell and 1990; Scammell, 1993; Höy, 2001).
  • Meat: a Novel

    Meat: a Novel

    University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Faculty Publications 2019 Meat: A Novel Sergey Belyaev Boris Pilnyak Ronald D. LeBlanc University of New Hampshire, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/faculty_pubs Recommended Citation Belyaev, Sergey; Pilnyak, Boris; and LeBlanc, Ronald D., "Meat: A Novel" (2019). Faculty Publications. 650. https://scholars.unh.edu/faculty_pubs/650 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sergey Belyaev and Boris Pilnyak Meat: A Novel Translated by Ronald D. LeBlanc Table of Contents Acknowledgments . III Note on Translation & Transliteration . IV Meat: A Novel: Text and Context . V Meat: A Novel: Part I . 1 Meat: A Novel: Part II . 56 Meat: A Novel: Part III . 98 Memorandum from the Authors . 157 II Acknowledgments I wish to thank the several friends and colleagues who provided me with assistance, advice, and support during the course of my work on this translation project, especially those who helped me to identify some of the exotic culinary items that are mentioned in the opening section of Part I. They include Lynn Visson, Darra Goldstein, Joyce Toomre, and Viktor Konstantinovich Lanchikov. Valuable translation help with tricky grammatical constructions and idiomatic expressions was provided by Dwight and Liya Roesch, both while they were in Moscow serving as interpreters for the State Department and since their return stateside.
  • MARS an Overview of the 1985–2006 Mars Orbiter Camera Science

    MARS an Overview of the 1985–2006 Mars Orbiter Camera Science

    MARS MARS INFORMATICS The International Journal of Mars Science and Exploration Open Access Journals Science An overview of the 1985–2006 Mars Orbiter Camera science investigation Michael C. Malin1, Kenneth S. Edgett1, Bruce A. Cantor1, Michael A. Caplinger1, G. Edward Danielson2, Elsa H. Jensen1, Michael A. Ravine1, Jennifer L. Sandoval1, and Kimberley D. Supulver1 1Malin Space Science Systems, P.O. Box 910148, San Diego, CA, 92191-0148, USA; 2Deceased, 10 December 2005 Citation: Mars 5, 1-60, 2010; doi:10.1555/mars.2010.0001 History: Submitted: August 5, 2009; Reviewed: October 18, 2009; Accepted: November 15, 2009; Published: January 6, 2010 Editor: Jeffrey B. Plescia, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University Reviewers: Jeffrey B. Plescia, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University; R. Aileen Yingst, University of Wisconsin Green Bay Open Access: Copyright 2010 Malin Space Science Systems. This is an open-access paper distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract Background: NASA selected the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) investigation in 1986 for the Mars Observer mission. The MOC consisted of three elements which shared a common package: a narrow angle camera designed to obtain images with a spatial resolution as high as 1.4 m per pixel from orbit, and two wide angle cameras (one with a red filter, the other blue) for daily global imaging to observe meteorological events, geodesy, and provide context for the narrow angle images. Following the loss of Mars Observer in August 1993, a second MOC was built from flight spare hardware and launched aboard Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) in November 1996.
  • UNIVERSITY of CALGARY Estimating Extreme Snow

    UNIVERSITY of CALGARY Estimating Extreme Snow

    UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Estimating Extreme Snow Avalanche Runout for the Columbia Mountains and Fernie Area of British Columbia, Canada by: Katherine S. Johnston A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING CALGARY, ALBERTA AUGUST, 2011 ©Katherine S. Johnston 2011 ABSTRACT Extreme snow avalanche runout is typically estimated using a combination of historical and vegetation records as well as statistical and dynamic models. The two classes of statistical models (α – β and runout ratio) are based on estimating runout distance past the β-point, which is generally defined as the point where the avalanche slope incline first decreases to 10°. The parameters for these models vary from mountain range to mountain range. In Canada, α – β and runout ratio parameters have been published for the Rocky and Purcell Mountains and for the British Columbia Coastal mountains. Despite active development, no suitable tall avalanche path model parameters have been published for the Columbia Mountains or for the Lizard Range area around Fernie, BC. Using a dataset of 70 avalanche paths, statistical model parameters have been derived for these regions. In addition, the correlation between extreme and average snowfall values and avalanche runout is explored. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to Bruce Jamieson for giving me the opportunity to work on this project, and for coordinating the financial support for this project. His thoughtful advice, numerous reviews, and inspirational leadership have helped make this a fantastic experience. My thanks to Alan Jones for providing numerous hours of guidance, mentoring, and thoughtful discussion throughout this project, and for facilitating data acquisition from outside sources.
  • Martian Crater Morphology

    Martian Crater Morphology

    ANALYSIS OF THE DEPTH-DIAMETER RELATIONSHIP OF MARTIAN CRATERS A Capstone Experience Thesis Presented by Jared Howenstine Completion Date: May 2006 Approved By: Professor M. Darby Dyar, Astronomy Professor Christopher Condit, Geology Professor Judith Young, Astronomy Abstract Title: Analysis of the Depth-Diameter Relationship of Martian Craters Author: Jared Howenstine, Astronomy Approved By: Judith Young, Astronomy Approved By: M. Darby Dyar, Astronomy Approved By: Christopher Condit, Geology CE Type: Departmental Honors Project Using a gridded version of maritan topography with the computer program Gridview, this project studied the depth-diameter relationship of martian impact craters. The work encompasses 361 profiles of impacts with diameters larger than 15 kilometers and is a continuation of work that was started at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas under the guidance of Dr. Walter S. Keifer. Using the most ‘pristine,’ or deepest craters in the data a depth-diameter relationship was determined: d = 0.610D 0.327 , where d is the depth of the crater and D is the diameter of the crater, both in kilometers. This relationship can then be used to estimate the theoretical depth of any impact radius, and therefore can be used to estimate the pristine shape of the crater. With a depth-diameter ratio for a particular crater, the measured depth can then be compared to this theoretical value and an estimate of the amount of material within the crater, or fill, can then be calculated. The data includes 140 named impact craters, 3 basins, and 218 other impacts. The named data encompasses all named impact structures of greater than 100 kilometers in diameter.
  • Monashee Park Plan

    Monashee Park Plan

    Monashee Park Management Plan October 2014 Cover Page Photo Location: Mount Fosthall from Fawn Lake Cover Page Photo Credit: Kevin Wilson (BC Parks) All photos contained within this plan are credited to BC Parks (unless otherwise stated). This document replaces the Monashee Provincial Park Master Plan (1993). Monashee Park Management Plan Approved by: October 1st, 2014 ____________________________ __________________ John Trewhitt Date A/Regional Director, Kootenay Okanagan BC Parks October 1st, 2014 ______________________________ __________________ Brian Bawtinheimer Date Executive Director, Parks Planning and Management Branch BC Parks Acknowledgements BC Parks is greatly indebted to visionaries such as Bob Ahrens, Ken and Una Dobson, Mike and Jean Freeman, Doug and Nesta Kermode, Paddy Mackie, Sid Draper, George Falconer, E.G. Oldham, R. Broadland, C.D. ‘Bill’ Osborne and early members of the North Okanagan Naturalists Club. In the 1950s and 60s much of the early groundwork for the establishment of the park was made by these individuals. Special acknowledgement is owed also to Ernest Laviolette, Eugene Foisy and Charlie Foisy. Their wilderness adventure over several months one summer in the 1960s was captured on the film “The Call of the Monashee”. This film, and the publicity it created, was another pivotal component towards the protection of this spectacular wilderness area for future generations. The Friends of Monashee Park and the Cherry Ridge Management Committee were instrumental in providing information on community interests and history within the park as were current members of the North Okanagan Naturalist Club, notably Kay Bartholomew and Pamela Jenkins. Dale Kermode provided invaluable historical photos of his late father’s (Doug Kermode) early explorations in the park.
  • Widespread Crater-Related Pitted Materials on Mars: Further Evidence for the Role of Target Volatiles During the Impact Process ⇑ Livio L

    Widespread Crater-Related Pitted Materials on Mars: Further Evidence for the Role of Target Volatiles During the Impact Process ⇑ Livio L

    Icarus 220 (2012) 348–368 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Icarus journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus Widespread crater-related pitted materials on Mars: Further evidence for the role of target volatiles during the impact process ⇑ Livio L. Tornabene a, , Gordon R. Osinski a, Alfred S. McEwen b, Joseph M. Boyce c, Veronica J. Bray b, Christy M. Caudill b, John A. Grant d, Christopher W. Hamilton e, Sarah Mattson b, Peter J. Mouginis-Mark c a University of Western Ontario, Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration, Earth Sciences, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7 b University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Lab, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USA c University of Hawai’i, Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, Ma¯noa, HI 96822, USA d Smithsonian Institution, Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA e NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA article info abstract Article history: Recently acquired high-resolution images of martian impact craters provide further evidence for the Received 28 August 2011 interaction between subsurface volatiles and the impact cratering process. A densely pitted crater-related Revised 29 April 2012 unit has been identified in images of 204 craters from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This sample of Accepted 9 May 2012 craters are nearly equally distributed between the two hemispheres, spanning from 53°Sto62°N latitude. Available online 24 May 2012 They range in diameter from 1 to 150 km, and are found at elevations between À5.5 to +5.2 km relative to the martian datum. The pits are polygonal to quasi-circular depressions that often occur in dense clus- Keywords: ters and range in size from 10 m to as large as 3 km.
  • Mars Science Laboratory: Curiosity Rover Curiosity’S Mission: Was Mars Ever Habitable? Acquires Rock, Soil, and Air Samples for Onboard Analysis

    Mars Science Laboratory: Curiosity Rover Curiosity’S Mission: Was Mars Ever Habitable? Acquires Rock, Soil, and Air Samples for Onboard Analysis

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Mars Science Laboratory: Curiosity Rover www.nasa.gov Curiosity’s Mission: Was Mars Ever Habitable? acquires rock, soil, and air samples for onboard analysis. Quick Facts Curiosity is about the size of a small car and about as Part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, Launch — Nov. 26, 2011 from Cape Canaveral, tall as a basketball player. Its large size allows the rover Curiosity is the largest and most capable rover ever Florida, on an Atlas V-541 to carry an advanced kit of 10 science instruments. sent to Mars. Curiosity’s mission is to answer the Arrival — Aug. 6, 2012 (UTC) Among Curiosity’s tools are 17 cameras, a laser to question: did Mars ever have the right environmental Prime Mission — One Mars year, or about 687 Earth zap rocks, and a drill to collect rock samples. These all conditions to support small life forms called microbes? days (~98 weeks) help in the hunt for special rocks that formed in water Taking the next steps to understand Mars as a possible and/or have signs of organics. The rover also has Main Objectives place for life, Curiosity builds on an earlier “follow the three communications antennas. • Search for organics and determine if this area of Mars was water” strategy that guided Mars missions in NASA’s ever habitable for microbial life Mars Exploration Program. Besides looking for signs of • Characterize the chemical and mineral composition of Ultra-High-Frequency wet climate conditions and for rocks and minerals that ChemCam Antenna rocks and soil formed in water, Curiosity also seeks signs of carbon- Mastcam MMRTG • Study the role of water and changes in the Martian climate over time based molecules called organics.
  • Prime Meridian ×

    Prime Meridian ×

    This website would like to remind you: Your browser (Apple Safari 4) is out of date. Update your browser for more × security, comfort and the best experience on this site. Encyclopedic Entry prime meridian For the complete encyclopedic entry with media resources, visit: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/prime-meridian/ The prime meridian is the line of 0 longitude, the starting point for measuring distance both east and west around the Earth. The prime meridian is arbitrary, meaning it could be chosen to be anywhere. Any line of longitude (a meridian) can serve as the 0 longitude line. However, there is an international agreement that the meridian that runs through Greenwich, England, is considered the official prime meridian. Governments did not always agree that the Greenwich meridian was the prime meridian, making navigation over long distances very difficult. Different countries published maps and charts with longitude based on the meridian passing through their capital city. France would publish maps with 0 longitude running through Paris. Cartographers in China would publish maps with 0 longitude running through Beijing. Even different parts of the same country published materials based on local meridians. Finally, at an international convention called by U.S. President Chester Arthur in 1884, representatives from 25 countries agreed to pick a single, standard meridian. They chose the meridian passing through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. The Greenwich Meridian became the international standard for the prime meridian. UTC The prime meridian also sets Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). UTC never changes for daylight savings or anything else. Just as the prime meridian is the standard for longitude, UTC is the standard for time.
  • New Insights Into Crater Obliteration in the Noachian Highlands of Mars

    New Insights Into Crater Obliteration in the Noachian Highlands of Mars

    50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 1649.pdf New Insights into Crater Obliteration in the Noachian Highlands of Mars. Samuel J. Holo and Edwin S. Kite University of Chicago, Department of Geophysical Sciences, Chicago, IL, 60637 – [email protected] Introduction: The Noachian highlands of Mars are Datasets and hypotheses: We used a global geo- heavily-cratered terrain that, in their geology, record logic map of Mars [10] and 2 pixel-per-degree (ppd) pre-valley-network Mars, the climate of which remains gridded MOLA data to generate a 2ppd map of Noa- enigmatic (e.g. [1]). The majority of craters on Noa- chian highland units (eNh, mNh and lNh) with their as- chian terrain are degraded (e.g. [2]), and several aspects sociated elevations (smoothed by nearest-neighbor av- of the Noachian highland landscape can be explained by eraging to avoid sampling crater bottoms). Combination the interplay of impact cratering and erosion of crater of this map with a global database of Martian craters rims by fluvial erosion [3,4]. Further, examination of the [11] enables us to ask four main questions: latitudinal/elevational trends in crater density and mor- • Is there a signal of a latitude control on crater phometric properties has prompted studies on the his- obliteration? tory of climatic forcing on crater modification and deg- • Is there a signal of an elevation control on radation (e.g. [2,5]). crater obliteration? The size-frequency distribution (SFD) of craters in • Does the degradation of equatorial craters on the Noachian highlands exhibits a paucity of craters < Noachian terrain leave a measurable signal of ~32 km in diameter, relative to extrapolation from spatial clustering relative to fresh craters? isochron fits to larger craters (e.g.