Context

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Context
1st MSL Landing Site Workshop Pasadena, CA May 31
June 2, 2006
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2
1
X

• Broad Characteristics
• No rim
• Flat floor
• 170 km in diameter
• 60 km wide, 500 m deep depression on Northern
  side
• Mesas in depression

Primary proposed landing ellipse Relatively flat
and smooth On-site outcrops Immediately
accessible l.t. layered mesa to the NE or l.t.
layered scarp to the South
Secondary landing ellipse Relatively flat and
smooth On-site light-toned outcrops On-site
fan Access to degraded mid-latitude terrains
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Accesible from Secondary landing site
Fan and Light-toned outcrops
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Fractured lobate Flow features
Boulder-forming layers
Light-toned slopes
5
Accesible from primary landing site
Light-toned layered depression walls
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Light-toned layered mesas

• 2 km of stratigraphic relief
• Southward-dipping layers (Wilson and Howard,
  2005)
• Stratigraphic Uncomformities (Ansan et al., 2006)

• Fe-OH (?) bearing (Ansan et al., 2006) minerals

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Attractions

• Site includes three fields of major interest in
  Mars studies
• Layered light-toned outcrops Primarily site 1
  everywhere
• Mid-latitude processes and morphologies go-to
  from site 2
• Fan deposits at site 2
• Proposed primary Study region
• Over 2 km of layered light-toned outcrop
  stratigraphy
• OMEGA Fe-OH (?) bearing minerals
• Other nearby regions
• Scarp on southern part of landing ellipse
• Additional exhumed fluvial deposits on western
  wall of crater
• Light-toned hydrate-bearing knobs on plains
  outside crater
• Layered material on plains outside crater w/
  apparent embayment relationships
• Controversial mid-latitude features NW of
  outcrops (70 km from center of landing ellipse)

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THEMIS / VIS
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(No Transcript)
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• 2 km of stratigraphic relief
• Southward-dipping layers (Wilson and Howard,
  2005)
• extension intersects pit walls
• Fe-OH (?) bearing (Ansan et al., 2006) minerals
• Stratigraphic Uncomformities (Ansan et al., 2006)

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Topography layered outcrops
Slope 20-35
N
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Topography overlying outcrops
Slope 22
N
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Summary Study regions

• Primary Landing site
• Light-toned outcrops, buttes mantling material
• Go-tos
• 20 km NE layered light-toned deposits
• 20 km S layered escarpments
• Secondary Landing site (lt70 km NW of primary
  site)
• Light-toned outcrops
• Overlying fan
• Go-tos
• Fan
• lineated valley fill, lobate fans, crevasses,
  degraded pasted-on, other mid-latitude features
• Other features of interest North of Terby case
  for diverse geologic history.
• Non-layered Hydrate-bearing light-toned massifs
• layers w/ embayment relationships on plains N and
  W of Terby

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Conclusions

• Terby site contains three fields of major
  interest in Mars studies
• Layered light-toned outcrops
• Fan deposits
• Mid-latitude processes and morphologies
• Primary proposed landing ellipse
• Relatively flat and smooth
• On-site outcrops and butte
• Immediately accessible mesa outcrop region to the
  NE or scarp to the South
• Proposed Study region
• Over 2 km of layered light-toned outcrop
  stratigraphy
• OMEGA Fe-OH (?) bearing minerals
• Landing
• All sites are within elevation constraints
• Landing sites are fairly flat small (lt couple
  degrees) slopes
• No meter-sized boulders observed in MOC NA images
• Traverse
• Primary landing ellipse appears transitable in
  MOC small slopes, few obstacles
• Primary study region also appears at least partly
  transitable.