Description:
Some issues of Martian geology have been contested for 25 years, and planetary geologists are now able to settle them. Data from the NASA Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), the mapping instrument on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in orbit around Mars, has been assembled into a global high resolution map, providing a definitive picture of the shape of the whole planet for the first time. This educational brief tells the stories of what's new: northern vs. southern hemispheres; the implications of possible plate tectonics; evidence implying that much of Mars's water has either escaped to space or is currently stored beneath the surface; ancient watersheds; and others.

Organization:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

URL:
http://edmall.gsfc.nasa.gov/99invest.Site/science-briefs/mola-near/ed-mars.html

Contact:
Stephanie Stockman, stockman@core2.gsfc.nasa.gov Geodynamics Branch, Mailstop 921.0, Greenbelt, MD 20771; Phone: (301) 614-6457

Cost:
None

Education Level:
Grades 9-12
Post Secondary

Subject:
Planetary Geology

Resource Type:
Internet Site
Fact Sheet

Date Added to teachearth.com:
12/16/00