SUPAI ASU MARS IMAGING PROJECT

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SUPAI ASU MARSIMAGING PROJECT

• Supai Science Family Night
• March 10th 2005

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Background

• ASU/NASA School participation program
• Application Process
• Essay
• GPA gt3.0
• Teacher recommendation
• Significant time commitment
• Conduct major research projects
• 26 accepted

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Project Selection Process

• Team evaluated several project objectives using
  the THEMIS imaging Satellite
• Volcanism
• Past and Present
• Cratering
• Calderas
• Evidence of water flow
• Tectonic Activity

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Final Project Selection

• Compare and Contrast Mars Volcanism with Earth
  Volcanism
• Reference Hawaii and Pacific Ring of Fire to
  project future volcanic activity
• Consensus selection based on compatibility with
  current curriculum
• We are not searching for evidence of aliens!

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Image Selection

• Selected region of Mars
• Targeting software to control satellite
• Identify location
• Time of satellite transit
• Day
• Night
• Angle of image capture

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Project Hypothesis

• Formation of Hawaian Islands are similar to the
  formation of the large series of Volcanoes on
  Mars.
• Pavonus Mons
• Ascraus Mons
• Arsea Mons

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Working with Image

• Measure depth of calderas/craters
• Measured shadows based on pixilation
• Measured angles based on heights of crater walls
• Applied mathematical formulae to convert pixels
  to meters

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Identified Relative Ages of Craters

• Analyzed lava flows over craters to determine
  relative age.
• Analyzed fresh craters and calderas to understand
  geologic forces at work in the selected area.

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Image Analysis

• We identified several areas of interest that we
  did not understand.
• Scratch marks
• Large regions of the image seem to have some form
  of erosion oriented in differing directions
• Final analysis reveled weathering and erosion
  patterns

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Image Analysis

• Rolling Rocks
• Linear formations of roll marks.
• Appear to be caused by a large object rolling on
  the surface
• Further analysis showed impossibility of rolling
  due to size and lack of source.

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Lava Tube Collapse Close Up

• As lava flows the surface cools and hardens
  leaving a hot core which continues flowing.
• Over time the interior section becomes hollow as
  the lava flows away.
• Eventually the lava tubes collapse and create the
  rolling illusion

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Image Analysis of Ice Flow

• Close up of apparent ice accumulation.
• Comparable with Arctic/Antarctic patterns
• Recent research indicates the possibility of a
  frozen sea on Mars

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Hypothesis Investigation

• The volcanic chains referenced appear to be
  created by the same geologic processes we see at
  work in the Hawaiian Islands.
• We see evidence of hot spot geologic processes at
  work on Mars and the Earth
• Yet Mars does not have an active tectonic plates
  nor does it exhibit any current volcanism.
• What happened to Marss core?

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Conclusion

• Based on the formation, relative ages, linearity
  of the volcano chains we can conclude the
  formation process is similar to the Earths
  geologic processes.
• Follow up research may yield more information
  regarding actual versus relative age, which we
  could not ascertain.
• The apparent absence of recent volcanism shows
  the changes that have occurred on Mars.
• This information may be an indication of the
  future geologic process on Earth

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Special Thanks

• ASU MARS imaging Team
• Gilead Wurman
• SUSD Science Dept
• Supai Staff
• Principal Cooper
• Teri Tremel
• Mary Beira