WHAT’S INVERTED RELIEF AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT AT MDRS AND ON MARS?

The area round The Mars Desert Research Station nearHanksville is
characterised by long, curving shale ridges capped by sandstone, these
are being eroded to form the distinctive beehive shaped hills that
characterise the area.  These deceptively simple features have an
interesting history that links their formation with the modern
landscape and to that of Mars.

The distinctive ridges of the landscape near the Mars Desert Research Station

One hundred and 50 million years ago the area that is now Utah was
part of a north-eastward-draining floodplain.  The climate was hot,
tropical, but strongly seasonal, not unlike northern Australia today.
Numerous rivers drained the floodplain depositing clean sands and
conglomerates while red and purple muds were deposited on the
floodplain, mixed with abundant ash from volcanoes to the west.  These
sediments were buried and turned to rock, mineralised water flowed
along the permeable sandstones, forming rounded pea-sized crystals of
iron-rich carbonate in the fine sands and cementing the coarse sands
with silica.

These sediments are now being eroded, the sandstones are being  more
resistant to erosion than the shales and this form in the ridges that
cross the landscape.  This is what is called exhumed and inverted
relief. Exhumed , because the shales that buried the channels are
being removed, and inverted, because the channels, once the low points
in the landscape, are now ridges.   On the sides of these ridges the
iron carbonate are being eroded out and form surface deposits of
spherical and near spherical concretions.

Pea-sized concretions eroding out of sandstones near the Mars Desert
Research Station
The inverted relief and the concretions are just two of the many
features that make the Hanksville area such a good Mars analogue.
Inverted relief is common on Mars and, as on Earth these represent
inverted river channels, for example those of Eberswalde Crater or
valleys that have been filled by flowing lava.

Exhumed and inverted channels from Eberswalde crater, image Malin
Space Systems/NASA
The famous “blue berries discovered by the Opportunity rover mission
in the first days following landing are concretions similar in shape
and expression to those found near the Mars Desert Research Station.
This is despite their smaller size (mostly only slightly larger than
pepper corns), and different composition (iron oxide instead of
carbonate).

Iron oxide concretions from Eagle crater False-colour image by the
Opportunity rover mission (NASA)
These features of the Mars Desert Research Station environment allow
us to explore and study geological and landscape features at a scale
similar to those found on Mars and apply the lessons to understanding
martian features and history.  It also provides a visually,
topographically, and geologically realistic environment to test
instruments and procedures and conduct operations to assist future
mission

This report filed by Anastasiya Stepanova – Crew Journalist

Here we are at the Mars Desert Research Station simulating that we have landed on the red planet. Undertaking a massive field science research program, living in isolation, eating dehydrated food and having delays in communication with Earth. But how far are we really from actually getting to Mars? How many years will pass before we see the first footprints in the red dust?

If we go back into space history, almost impossible things were done in a short period. Today is the 59th anniversary of the first artificial Earth satellite “Sputnik”. The Russians started the calendar of the space era from this day, the 4^th of October 1957, when the Soviet Union launched a 58 cm in diameter satellite into lower Earth orbit. It was quite a simple metal sphere with four external antennae to send radio signals, which were detectable all around the Earth. Even though it was poorly equipped, Sputnik provided valuable information. An analysis of radio signals was used to gather information about the electron density of the ionosphere. Temperature and pressure were encoded in the duration of radio beeps.

But the major impact caused by this event was the start of the space race. Military, technological and science developments had such a boost as never before. Sputnik orbited the Earth just about three months and burned in the atmosphere, but inspired a generation! The whole human ideology changed! Kids were dreaming to build stations on the Moon, Mars and Venus. To be an astronaut was the most prestigious profession, compared with a real life superman.

I’m often asked if it is possible to get to Mars in 10 years. I reply with one simple example: from 58 cm satellite, not knowing what is out there in space, we could manage to send the first human, Yuriy Gagarin, just four years after. So, yes, we as a whole planet, nation or as one extraordinary human can do it!

Martian Jambalaya: (for you and six martian friends)

Ingredients:
2 box of Zatarain’s Jambalaya mix ( 452g total)
5 cup of water.
1 tbsp of olive oil.
A handful of dehydrated diced tomato.
A handful of dehydrated mushroom.
A handful of dehydrated chopped onions.
A dash of dehydrated jalapeno’s pepper.

Possible variation for our meat lovers: you can add dehydrated beef
mixed with cheese of your choice.
You can add any much beef as you want, but remember, this dish should
not turn into a  jambalaya flavor beef recipe.

Note: You can add the diced tomato, mushroom, chopped onions and
jalapeno’s pepper as much or as little as you want. up to personal
taste.

Step 1: hydrate the vegetable for at least 10 minutes before you start
the jambalaya.
If you go for the meat lover variation: soak the beef with you choice
of cheese at least 30 minutes before the next step.

Step 2: Insert the Jambalaya mix with the water and the olive oil in a
saucepan. Bring to boil.

Step 3: Add the vegetable (and meat) into the mix.

Step 4: Simmer for 30 minutes

Step 5: Remove from heat and let it rest for a few minutes.

Step 6: Eat and Enjoy with your far from home friends.

This meal was very much enjoy by everyone in the crew. Vegetarian
friendly and not vegetarian options available. Great with a cup of
tea, or tang! Orange flavor water.

Best serve in the southern region of Mars but also very enjoyable
everywhere one might live.