Mars

Analysis of Fractured Lavas Suggest Floods on Mars (Full Name (Professor 's Name (Course /Subject Name (Date Submitted

Analysis of the article Fractured Lavas Suggest Floods on Mars

The article , Fractured Lavas Suggest Floods on Mars ' which was written by James Skinner of the U .S . Geological Survey and was published last February 27 , 2009 in The University of Arizona News , basically reported that cracks on lavas in Mars indicated that there was flooding in the planet . Moreover , according to the article , these fractures found on the red planet , which are also known

as columnar joints , were the first ones discovered on a planet aside from Earth . Moses Milazzo , one of the geophysicists of the U .S . Geological Survey Astrogeology Team in Flagstaff and a member of High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE ) on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's (NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter , explained that these columnar joints are formed when lava is cooled and shrinks or contracts

In addition , based on the article , Milazzo , who was also one of the lead authors on a that expounded the said discovery , also said that the physical characteristics of the column-shaped fractures on lava can provide scientists and researchers with a better understanding of the role of water in Mars ' geologic processes . He added that they used a HiRISE device to observe the columnar joints , which were 30 meters tall and one meter in diameter or 100 feet high and 3 feet wide , found in an impact crater 's...