Science Report
11/22/2014
Prepared by Alexandre Mangeot
The SSLP samples brought back after the first EVA have been processed
through a color and a grain
size distribution analysis. The results have not been analyzed yet.
The SSLP samples brought back after the second EVA still need to be analyzed.
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Science Report
11/22/2014
Prepared by Claude-Michel Laroche
Today more crew member has accepted to participate in trying out
Alexander project. Almost
everyone has tried it so far. Data of the new the attempt were
compiled and now the creation
guide score at 82.25%, with a standard deviation of 10,55, on
Alexander project. Even if this
number doesn't mean much without comparing it to something else. A lot
of the comments were given
to make the new creation guide more complete and will hopefully be better.
To test the second version of the creation guide I will use less crew
member project and turn
into another task to make it easier to vary the difficulties of the
tests and also to potentially
have more test so it would require every single crew member to do each
test. This will over all
increase the adaptability to the crew member so everyone will have a
better chance to participate
depending on their schedule and workload.
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Science Report
11/22/2014
Prepared by Paul Knightly
In the science of collecting geology surface samples, location variety correlates to sample variety. This rule held up today as we visited Tank Wash, about 3 km north of the Hab. The diversity of samples that I found in and around the creek bed was simply stunning. In the creek bed itself, shell fossils from the Dakota sandstone and Mancos shale formations upstream were in abundance and I
collected a sample of what seems to be a calcareous limestone. Above the banks of the wash I found two varieties of gypsum within the Morrison shale with the help of other crewmates. The thin slivers of gypsum came in a yellow and maroon hue. They will need further analysis as time allows.
The star sample today was a conglomerate ball found in the creek-bed. The conglomerate balls were between 5 and 7 cm in diameter and approximately 400 grams in mass. They are most certainly a recent creation, amalgamated from the currents of water that fill the wash after monsoonal rainstorms. The cement appears to be a combination of Morrison and Mancos shale and the sand and gravel grains are consistent with the intermediary Dakota sandstone. The balls are very fragile, though. I broke the first one I attempted to sample (saving the pieces) and was very careful with the second. Extensive photographs and measurements were made to document the ball in form in case it breaks in transit
back to Earth.
I’m looking forward to additional sampling in two days, this time to the east of the Hab. I will be using my repaired core sampler to collect additional borings and then climb to the top of the plateau to the west of the Hab to collect surface and hand auger samples.
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Science Report
11/22/2014
Prepared by Paul Sokoloff
Today’s biological sampling took our EVA team to the Tank Wash north of the Hab. This proved to be a diverse location – likely due to the moisture from the tank wash. We collected several specimens here including and Opuntia (prickly pear cactus). Another member of the EVA team and myself came back along Cow Dung Road to sample on the conglomerate sandstone hillsides on either side of the road, which also yielded high levels of plant and lichen diversity. Notable species here include members of the legume genus Astragalus – the most diverse plant group in North America and a nitrogen fixer. Twenty new samples were added to the collection today, and are currently drying in the hab’s lab.