Comments on: Christmas Rocks https://habitablezone.com/2012/12/28/christmas-rocks/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2012/12/28/christmas-rocks/#comment-22410 podrock Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:22:37 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=29259#comment-22410 When time has allowed over the holiday season I have been looking at the raw images, trying to grok what we are seeing. My intuition says Basaltic Tuff: fine-grained with clasts of pumice. Fracturing sometimes seems likes it is polygonal (related to cooling contraction) but there seems to be another fracturing event imposed on that. Seems to be in angular unconformity with the basaltic unit above. When time has allowed over the holiday season I have been looking at the raw images, trying to grok what we are seeing. My intuition says Basaltic Tuff: fine-grained with clasts of pumice. Fracturing sometimes seems likes it is polygonal (related to cooling contraction) but there seems to be another fracturing event imposed on that. Seems to be in angular unconformity with the basaltic unit above.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2012/12/28/christmas-rocks/#comment-22404 RobVG Sat, 29 Dec 2012 00:27:11 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=29259#comment-22404 Not meaning you Steve. These rocks and some others really look like clay to me. Have yet to see an opinion from Podrock. Not meaning you Steve.

These rocks and some others really look like clay to me. Have yet to see an opinion from Podrock.

]]> By: SteveS https://habitablezone.com/2012/12/28/christmas-rocks/#comment-22401 SteveS Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:54:13 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=29259#comment-22401 The signs of fracturing especially the small ones at the ends of the boulders with pieces that have separated make it look so. I'll leave it to the experts like our resident rockhound, but is that because of the extreme temperature changes experienced on Mars? I guess high winds from the dust storms also have a influence. The signs of fracturing especially the small ones at the ends of the boulders with pieces that have separated make it look so.

I’ll leave it to the experts like our resident rockhound, but is that because of the extreme temperature changes experienced on Mars?
I guess high winds from the dust storms also have a influence.

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