[2. But, the critical evidence are the bedforms. Apparently, there are features in there that are very diagnostic of deposition environment. They show (according to the press release) that the water had to be at least several inches deep and moving at least several inches to even a foot per second. It'd be hard to imagine how you get a damp salt flat to produce inches of water moving fast -- and over and over again, given the multiple beds.]
That's where they chose to use the term 'shoreline'.
Topography must have something to do with it too and from looking at this MOLA image I see no lakes, possible ponding, but no 'great salt lake/s'. A larger shoreline was definitely possible (imho).
Meridiani Planum/Terra is in Arabia Terra.
From: MOLA
Space/Science » in reply to It's all about the bedforms....
re: It's all about the bedforms.... and topography (wouldn't hurt).
The whole thread (37 posts)
- NASA press conference title: "Opportunity Hits the Beach"
- Exactly how many tens of millions of years ago was all this supposed to have happened?
- Slides from the conference
- Another version of this news from MSNBC
- Alright you geologists out there.....
- re: Alright you geologists out there.....
- Geologists my eye. I want to see some fossil experts going over all these photos now, if they aren't already. (n/t)
- Climate
- It's all about the bedforms....
- re: I concur. I think some radiometric dating of the rocks & sediments is in order. (n/t)
- Sample return just became a lot more likely
- Some still images
- Squyres: "A habitable environment on Mars"
- Press release with photos
- Sedimentary rock! (n/t)
- Weiler: "Perhaps A Shallow, Salty Sea"
- You sure don't get beaches from water percolating up through the soil (n/t)
- re: NASA press conference title: "Opportunity Hits the Beach"
- Screen cap title