TEACHER EDITION

Areology: The Study of Mars

Directions: You have just received a Martian surface sample. It is your job to observe and determine all the scientific information you can from this sample. You will be taking a core sample from this Martian surface sample and answering the following questions. You will then receive a second core sample to compare to the first. List anything that is similar or different between the two samples.

  1. Describe the color of your Mars sample: Have the students observe the exact color of the surface. Is it milk chocolate color, dark chocolate, etc. Have them define in word variations to more distinctly describe what they are seeing.
  2. Describe the surface features of your Mars sample: Is it smooth, wavy, lined, bumpy, speckled, etc.? Can they see different colors integrated into the surface?
  3. Draw a picture of any surface features you see on your Mars sample:

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  4. What is your hypothesis (science guess) about the cause of any texture you see on your Mars sample? If this was a Martian sample, what physical process could have caused the textures or features you are seeing? (e.g. water erosion (fluvial), wind erosion (aeolian), impacts, etc.)
  5. How many layers does your Martian core sample contain? This will vary, depending the candy bar.

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  6. Draw a picture showing the layers of your Martian core sample.
  7. Which layers were made first and why? The chocolate covering would be the surface – the youngest area of deposit. The stratigraphy (the order of the layers) would grow older as they go down the straw, towards the bottom. This would generally be true, barring any unusual events, like earthquake faulting or magma (liquid rock) intrusion.
  8. Draw a picture of the second core sample showing any layers and surface features.

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  9. Compare the two core samples and list any similarities or differences from your Martian core sample. Unless the student got an identical core sample in the exchange, there should be some change. Compare the thickness of the top layers, colors, textures, smells, number of layers, sizes of layers, softness, hardness, etc.
  10. Would a core sample from Mars be important to the study of Mars? Why? A core sample would be very important to the study of Mars! Most of our science observations have been of surface features. To have a better understanding of the processes that formed the Martian features, seeing the subsurface would be very important. There are also many unanswered questions the scientists are trying to find answers for: Is there water in the subsurface perhaps that a human mission to Mars could access (Mars microprobes that are part of the Mars ’98 mission)? How many layers are there and how thick are the layers in the subsurface? Are there different rocks underground than there are on the surface of Mars? What can we tell about the climatic history of Mars form these layers (Mars ’98 Mission)?
  11. Where would be the best place to study a Martian core sample…on Earth or on Mars? Why? Actually, a case could be could be made for both sites…Earth would probably have better, more sensitive science equipment available, since spacecraft equipment is somewhat limited to space/cost/sensitivity factors. Studying the sample on Mars would allow the scientist to observe the actual site and surroundings of the core sample. Was this ample typical of the rest of the terrain, or an unusual occurrence? A field study could be better conducted on Mars.
  12. What would account for the samples being different, if both come from Mars? The core samples may have been taken from different sites or different places on the planet. Remember, one sample does not necessarily translate to the whole planet being like the sample. (Good story is the "The Blind Men and the Elephant" where the blind men all feel a different part of the elephant and think they know what the whole elephant is like).
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