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Mars Was Once Covered In Hip-Deep Flowing Water
TBI ^ | 9-27-2012 | Jennifer Welsh

Posted on 09/27/2012 1:08:05 PM PDT by blam

Mars Was Once Covered In Hip-Deep Flowing Water

Jennifer Welsh
September 27,2012

The Curiosity rover's science team has come to a consensus: There was once a large amount of flowing water in Gale Crater. They can't say when, or for how long, but based on the types, shapes and sizes of rocks they've been seeing, they can say, finally, there was flowing water on Mars.

We aren't talking about a small amount of water either: The stream running from a canyon in Mount Sharpe called Peace Vallis could have been up to hip deep. The water eroded jagged rocks into smooth stones and deposited them in a fan shape across the floor of Gale Crater, Curiosity's landing site.

The team has examined rock outcroppings from three areas along the rover's path, all of which indicate that water had eroded rocks into gravel, then deposited them in layers. These layers cemented together forming what's called a conglomerate rock, similar to a rough cement.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Curiosity first spotted these conglomerate rocks at her landing site, Bradbury Landing, where her thrusters blew away a top layer of dust from the surface of the Red Planet. This image has been white balanced to look more like it would on Earth.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The second instance of conglomerate rock is here, at an outcropping named Link. This image was taken Sept. 2, and has been enhanced to show how it would look under Earth lighting conditions.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UofA

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS and PSI

(snip)
(I deleted most of the article so that I could post all the pictures presented. Click to the site for the entire article.)

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catastrophism; curiosityrover; mars; nasa; space
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1 posted on 09/27/2012 1:08:17 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

It does look like river rock in those bottom photos.


2 posted on 09/27/2012 1:10:49 PM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: blam
If they made cement without union labor then Obama will be after them big time.
3 posted on 09/27/2012 1:13:10 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (Liberals make unrealistic demands on reality and reality doesn't oblige them.)
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To: blam

If they sent that rover to DC, a much shorter and less expensive trip they would find that the District is covered with at least 5 feet of flowing excrement. And its getting deeper every day! JMHO!


4 posted on 09/27/2012 1:15:06 PM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: blam
Curiosity rover's science team has come to a consensus:

I'm always nervous about science and consensus in same sentence.

5 posted on 09/27/2012 1:16:02 PM PDT by Raycpa
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To: blam

“Mars Was Once Covered In Hip-Deep Flowing Water”

Obviously, someone from Los Angeles stole it all.


6 posted on 09/27/2012 1:16:01 PM PDT by MeganC (January 20, 2013: The end of an error.)
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To: cripplecreek

It does look like river gravel. I really liked the orbital photo of the aluvial fan coming out of the creek. However, it appears that there are several meteor impact craters in the area that are more recent than the hydrological activity. That tells me that the flowing water ceased many millions, if not over a billion, years ago.


7 posted on 09/27/2012 1:16:53 PM PDT by henkster (With Carter, the embassy staff was still alive.)
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To: blam

All those Martians and their SUVs caused the Global Warming that evaporated all that water...............................


8 posted on 09/27/2012 1:17:28 PM PDT by Red Badger (Is it just me, or is Hillary! starting to look like Benjamin Franklin?.................)
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To: blam

I remember thinking, the day they landed on the moon, that by the time I was in my forties we’d be on Mars. I was in my teens then.

Now I’m pretty sure I won’t live to see it.

Still, this stuff is exciting to me.


9 posted on 09/27/2012 1:23:16 PM PDT by marron
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

Too bad they didn’t have Al Gore (Sarcasm)


10 posted on 09/27/2012 1:26:13 PM PDT by ZULU (See video: http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-first-siege-of-vienna.html)
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To: blam

Thank you for posting the photos.
I’m saving the article.


11 posted on 09/27/2012 1:26:25 PM PDT by onyx (FREE REPUBLIC IS HERE TO STAY! DONATE MONTHLY! IF YOU WANT ON SARAH PALIN''S PING LIST, LET ME KNOW)
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To: cripplecreek

yes, the stuff on the lower left looks like typical Earth gravel


12 posted on 09/27/2012 1:26:34 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: blam

wow......


13 posted on 09/27/2012 1:29:37 PM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Present failure and impending death yield irrational action))
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To: blam

14 posted on 09/27/2012 1:29:43 PM PDT by Raycpa
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To: blam

What are the chances that they would land in a spot where those particular rock formations were visible on the surface? Talk about a lucky breccia!


15 posted on 09/27/2012 1:34:05 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Raycpa

16 posted on 09/27/2012 1:35:12 PM PDT by Bobalu (It is not obama we are fighting, it is the media.)
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To: marron

“I remember thinking, the day they landed on the moon, that by the time I was in my forties we’d be on Mars. I was in my teens then.”

I was thinking we’d have flying cars. I want my damn flying car!


17 posted on 09/27/2012 1:36:01 PM PDT by henkster (With Carter, the embassy staff was still alive.)
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To: blam
MarsFaker alert!

Anybody can see this is gravel and concrete. Mars my A$$.

18 posted on 09/27/2012 1:38:58 PM PDT by faucetman ( Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
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To: blam

Incredible pics. Nicely done post.


19 posted on 09/27/2012 1:41:40 PM PDT by ETL (ALL (most?) of the Obama-commie connections at my FR Home page: http://www.freerepublic.com/~etl/)
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To: blam

At least we found a good supply of rocks.


20 posted on 09/27/2012 1:46:30 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper (Obama at the UN: The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.)
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