spacetoday.net: Spirit observations reveal surprises about Martian soil

Posted: Wed, Jan 21, 2004, 10:00 AM ET (1500 GMT)
Spirit studies rock Adirondack (NASA/JPL)

The initial analysis of data collected by NASA's Mars rover Spirit reveal that the soil in the Gusev Crater landing site may have more of a volcanic than sedimentary origin. Spectroscopic data collected by Spirit on January 15 of a soil sample revealed the presence of the mineral olivine, a mineral that does not survive weathering well and is more commonly associated with volcanic deposits. Scientists also raised the possibility that the olivine is actually located in a rock hidden under a very thin layer of soil. The soil itself may not have originated anywhere near the landing site, thanks to dust storms that can transport material across thousands of kilometers. On Tuesday Spirit began its investigation of a football-sized rock dubbed Adirondack.