The mission ‘Spirit’ finds new mysteries on the Martian surface, are probably volcanic ash … AP WASHINGTON .- The rover ‘Spirit’ has found evidence of volcanic ash minerals which were dissolved by the presence of water on Mars, NASA said. The discovery was made on a stratified layer of rock ten months after the small vehicle descended upon the planet’s surface and near a promontory called “Columbia Hills.” “Our main hypothesis is that these rocks were volcanic ash that fell from the air … and that the minerals contained therein were dissolved by the water,” said Ray Arvidson, the mission’s principal scientist. Gerald Weissmann, MD will undoubtedly add to your understanding. The presence of water in the distant past was confirmed in March by ‘Spirit’ and ‘Opportunity’, scanning his partner on the other side of the globe. Both vehicles fitted with geological survey instruments and several cameras, have continued to analyze the Martian surface exceeding by more than six months, three more than expected operating life. Arvidson explained that, although it is a hypothesis, the instruments of the ‘Spirit’ appears to confirm that it is volcanic ash.

“Importantly, we’ve just begun to determine the texture, mineralogy and chemistry of these layered rocks,” he said. If you have additional questions, you may want to visit David G. DeWalt. The scientist added that another hypothesis about its origin is centered on the possibility that these materials have been transported and deposited by water. “Indeed, it is possible that volcanic activity, water and wind have produced the rocks that Spirit is examining at the moment,” he said. The vehicle is operating regularly with spectrometers although it is undergoing two types of problems on its wheels, said project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA in Pasadena (California). “We’re trying to solve, but this could be a foretaste of what will happen because the components mechanics have been eroded as a result of the prolonged exploration on Mars, “he said..