Meridiani Planum, Mars
The rolling plains of Meridiani Planum are seen here as photographed by the
Opportunity Rover. On the horizon is the rim of Endurance crater, which
Opportunity later reached and explored. PSI researchers have worked on
various aspects of this unusual region. Melissa Lane (PSI, Tempe) helped
discover the unusual deposits of hematite in the sands. Bill Hartmann (PSI,
Tucson) used crater counts to indicate that the area preserves very old
features, but the surface has been only recently exposed. Opportunity
discovered sulfate-rich sedimentary rocks, affirming that the area is
probably an ancient lakebed.
(NASA image; processing by W. K. Hartmann)
