Science Information
What are we going to study?
These items listed above are our scientific objectives or things we would like to know more about. We will learn about these things by conducting specific experiments as well as good old-fashioned field work (lots of walking, sample collecting, picture and note taking). In addition to the experiments and basic field work, we are also conducting important engineering tests and doing educational outreach (discussed elsewhere).
Periglacial Investigations
Many surface features on Mars are attributed to periglacial processes (snow, ice, permafrost). To help determine if this is true, an inventory of periglacial formations at and around Haughton will be made. By understanding the nature, scale, and diversity of periglacial formations observed at the crater, it is hoped that the periglacial nature hypothesized for martian analogs will be determined and that information concerning the occurrence, distribution, and evolution of ground-ice on Mars may be learned. An inventory and map of periglacial formations at Haughton was begun in 1997. The task will be continued this year. Visual field observations, ground-penetrating radar sounding, shallow drilling, and aerial surveys will be used to carry out this task.
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V-shaped valley.
*Click on image for bigger picture*
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Fluvial Investigations
The origin and evolution of the many valley networks on Mars remains unknown. A variety of methods of formation have been proposed. Some have very different implications for past climatic conditions on Mars. Understanding the nature of the drainage at and around Haughton, which resembles some martian valleys, may help identify the "fluvial" (valley-forming) processes that have operated on Mars. An examination of the suite of valley forms present at and around Haughton was begun in 1997 with the goal of determining the origin and evolution of each valley form. The task will be continued this year. Field observations (profile and slope measurements, source region identification), ground-penetrating radar sounding, and aerial surveys will be used to carry out this task.
Craters on early Mars may have contained lakes, much as Haughton once did. The paleolacustrine record preserved at Haughton offers a possible analog to similar records at ancient aqueous basins on Mars. A study of the paleolacustrine record at Haughton may 1) provide insight into how similar paleolacustrine formations might be preserved, observed, and sampled on Mars, and 2) reveal the magnitude of hydrothermal activity in the aftermath of the Haughton crater's formation. The latter issue bears on the duration and method of heat release at impact sites, and thus on the availability on Mars of impact-induced warm aqueous environments (warm lakes) possibly suitable for prebiotic chemistry and life.
At present, the main paleolacustrine tasks at Haughton are to produce a complete map of the outcrops of paleolacutrine sediments within the crater and to search for signatures of hydrothermal activity in these sediments. In the longer term, attempts will be made to reconstruct (for instance from a detailed study of preserved varves) the evolution of the environment at Haughton. Signs of hydrothermal activity will be sought outside of the paleolacustrine context. Surface visual observations, ground-penetrating radar sounding, and shallow drilling to retrieve sediment cores are the main paleolacustrine activities planned.
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Possible large ejecta block.
Note ATVs and people for scale.
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Regolith Investigations
The massive allochtonous breccia at Haughton is an impact-produced polymict fragmentary medium permeated with ground-ice and currently weathering in a relatively arid periglacial environment. In that sense, the Haughton breccia is an analog to what the martian regolith is presumed to be. The main objectives of "regolith" investigations at Haughton are to 1) characterize the physical properties of the allochtonous breccia deposits, 2) understand the subsurface structure of the breccia deposits, including the distribution of ground-ice within them, and 3) characterize the rheology, weathering, and erosional style of the breccia deposits. Both similarities and differences between the breccia and surrounding terrains need to be understood. Surface visual observations, ground-penetrating radar sounding, and shallow drilling are the main "regolith" activities planned. Temperature probes will also be installed in the breccia subsurface to characterize the in-situ thermophysical properties of the material.
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Haughton impact breccia (6 cm wide). Note cone-like fracture pattern on lower left, darker rock surface, which is diagnostic of shock. Also note cemented, light colored breccia matrix on right side of sample.
*Click on image for bigger picture*
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Impact Investigations
One of the most interesting characteristics of the Haughton crater is that it formed in carbonates (dolomite), a material whose response to impact cratering differs radically from that of other common geologic materials: melting in carbonates is largely suppressed; instead, intense shock-devolatilization occurs (impact drives out water and other mobile elements). The HMP provides an opportunity to complete the characterization and sampling of impact features and products recorded at Haughton. Among issues to be addressed by the HMP team are: 1) what is the full range of shock effects experienced by the various lithologies present at the target site at the time of impact?; 2) do the breccia deposits exhibit any spatial variation (vertical or lateral)?; 3) what was the magnitude of hydrothermal processing in the aftermath of the impact?; 4) can any distal ejecta be found? Surface visual observations, rock sampling, and shallow drilling are the main "impact" activities planned. Traverses will include visits to sites located inside and outside the present perimeter of the crater.
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Lichen covered rock.
*Click on image for bigger picture*
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Biological Investigations
While the biology of the Arctic is rich and evolved and cannot be generally regarded as analogous to any biology that might be expected to have appeared on Mars, specific observations made during last year's reconnaissance are of intrinsic interest and some are actually relevant to discussions regarding life on Mars (e.g., lithophytic communities ("bugs in rocks")). Biological investigations at Haughton focus on those aspects of the site's biology that relate to Haughton's impact origin and subsequent evolution. Specific objectives are: 1) to identify lithophytic communities associated with impact-processed materials; 2) to understand why some impact processed materials appear to be devoid of lithophytic organisms; 3) to inventory the biology of the Haughton impact crater site as part of a broader biological characterization of terrestrial impact craters; 4) to explore the endemicity of life at Haughton; 5) to report on any previously unidentified feature of Arctic biology found at or near Haughton.
