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Opportunity to sample something different: The dark, unweathered, mafic sands of Cerberus and the Pathfinder 1997 Mars landingA very important surface component, typically described as 'dark gray material', was not seen at the Viking lander sites, but is common to all low-albedo regions on Mars. Dark material probably includes unaltered mafic volcanic and/or crustal rock and soil not coated by dust, weathering rinds, or varnish. A Pathfinder landing in Cerberus (9 deg N - 16 deg N, 194 deg W - 215 deg W) will guarantee examination of materials that are distinctly different from the two Viking lander sites. In situ study of dark material will provide vital ground truth for orbiter-based observations like those anticipated from Mars '94/'96 and Mars Global Surveyor.
Document ID
19950009772
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Edgett, Kenneth S.
(Arizona State Univ. Tempe, AZ, United States)
Singer, Robert B.
(Arizona State Univ. Tempe, AZ, United States)
Geissler, P. E.
(Arizona State Univ. Tempe, AZ, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Inst., Mars Pathfinder Landing Site Workshop
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
95N16187
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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