McMurdo is a crater in the
Mare Australe quadrangle
The Mare Australe quadrangle is one of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Research Program. The Mare Australe quadrangle is also referred to as MC-30 (Mars Chart-30). The quadr ...
of
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
, located at 84.4° S and 359.1° W. It is 30.3 km in diameter and was named after
McMurdo Station in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...
.
Many layers are visible in the south wall of the crater. Many places on Mars show rocks arranged in layers. The study of layering on Mars greatly expanded when the Mars Global Surveyor sent back images. Rock can form layers in a variety of ways. Volcanoes, wind, or water can produce layers.
A detailed discussion of layering with many Martian examples can be found in Sedimentary Geology of Mars. A paper by Grotzinger and Milliken discusses the role of water and wind in forming layers of sedimentary rocks.
Just to the south of McMurdo is a field of numerous short, dark streaks or fans. These are caused by the outgassing of carbon dioxide in the spring when the temperature is rising. The carbon dioxide gas carries with it dark particles. If a wind is blowing at the time, the plume of material is spread to one side forming a streak or a fan; these features have been called spiders because at times they look like spiders with many legs.
Both layers and fans are shown in the pictures below.
Wikimcnurdo.jpg, McMurdo, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, an ...
).
Wikimcnurdolayers.jpg, Short dark streaks are dark fans caused by outgassing of carbon dioxide and dark material. Layers are easily visible in the wall of the crater. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of McMurdo. Picture taken with CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
See also
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Geology of Mars
The geology of Mars is the scientific study of the surface, crust, and interior of the planet Mars. It emphasizes the composition, structure, history, and physical processes that shape the planet. It is analogous to the field of terrestrial geo ...
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Geyser (Mars)
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HiRISE
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is a camera on board the '' Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006. The 65 kg (143 lb), US$40 million instrument was built under the direction ...
*
Impact crater
An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...
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Impact event
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List of craters on Mars
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Ore resources on Mars
Mars may contain ores that would be very useful to potential colonists. The abundance of volcanic features together with widespread cratering are strong evidence for a variety of ores. While nothing may be found on Mars that would justify the hi ...
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Planetary nomenclature
Planetary nomenclature, like terrestrial nomenclature, is a system of uniquely identifying features on the surface of a planet or natural satellite so that the features can be easily located, described, and discussed. Since the invention of the tel ...
References
Mare Australe quadrangle
Impact craters on Mars
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