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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database
Houston Geological Society Bulletin
Abstract
Abstract: Geology of Mars
By
The first looks at the Martian surface
that were obtained by unmanned spacecraft
gave us the impression that the planet looked
very much like the Moon. Later detailed
imagery of virtually all of the Martian surface
obtained by the Mariner 9 Spacecraft,
has demonstrated that Mars is a unique
planet in the Solar System. Permanent polar
caps of carbon dioxide, immense volcanoes
and calderas, huge rift (?) valleys,
sinuous rilles, atmospheric water vapor and
water ice clouds together with large surface
sand dune fields make the planet a much
more exciting body than was previously
thought. It appears that there may have
been an abundance of water on the Martian
surface at some time in the past and large
deposits of permafrost may still be present.
Wind blown sediments are constantly shifting
on the surface and changing the albedo of
various areas on Mars. The new findings
about Mars make the possibility of life on
the planet, or possibly fossils, even more
likely than was previously hoped for by the
scientific community. End_of_Record - Last_Page 1---------------