- Source: Columbus (crater)
Columbus is a crater in the Terra Sirenum of Mars. It is 119 km in diameter and was named after Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer (1451–1506). The discovery of sulfates and clay minerals in sediments within Columbus crater are strong evidence that a lake once existed in the crater. Research with an orbiting near-infrared spectrometer, which reveals the types of minerals present based on the wavelengths of light they absorb, found evidence of layers of both clay and sulfates in Columbus crater. This is exactly what would appear if a large lake had slowly evaporated. Moreover, because some layers contained gypsum, a sulfate which forms in relatively fresh water, life could have formed in the crater.
Layers
Columbus crater contains layers, also called strata. In Columbus crater, the CRISM instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter found kaolinite, hydrated sulfates including alunite and possibly jarosite. Further study concluded that gypsum, polyhydrated and monohydrated Mg/Fe-sulfates were common and small deposits of montmorillonite, Fe/Mg-phyllosilicates, and crystalline ferric oxide or hydroxide were found. Thermal emission spectra suggest that some minerals were in the tens of percent range.
See also
Groundwater on Mars
Geology of Mars
HiRISE
Lakes on Mars
List of craters on Mars
List of quadrangles on Mars
Geological history of Mars
Water on Mars
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Neil Armstrong
- Yuri Gagarin
- Venus
- Cakupan Google Street View
- Daftar taman nasional di Amerika Serikat
- Daftar julukan kota di Amerika Serikat
- Columbus (crater)
- Columbus
- Lakes on Mars
- List of craters on Mars: A–G
- Memnonia quadrangle
- List of craters on Mars: O–Z
- Flammarion (Martian crater)
- Colombo (crater)
- List of craters on the Moon: C–F
- Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars
