THE PROPOSED WORK IS DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM WORKINGS PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDES STUDIES OF ANALOGUE FIELD SETTINGS RELEVANT TO GEOLOGIC AND GEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES OCCURRING ON PLANETARY BODIES SUCH AS MARS. PARTICULARLY THIS PROPOSAL WILL FOCUS ON QUANTITATIVE TERRESTRIAL FIELD STUDIES THAT WILL IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF IN-SITU MEASUREMENTS MADE BY ORBITAL/ROBOTIC MISSIONS ON MARS. THIS PROPOSAL IS ALSO RELEVANT TO THE MAJOR GOALS OF THE MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAM THAT FOCUS ON THE 1) LIFE 2) CLIMATE AND 3) GEOLOGY OF MARS IN THAT THE GEOCHEMICAL-HYDROLOGICAL SULFUR CYCLE COULD HAVE PROVIDED THE CHEMICAL ENERGY NECESSARY FOR LIFE. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE A STRONGER FRAMEWORK FOR INTERPRETING THE INPUT FROM RECENT AND UPCOMING MARS EXPLORATION MISSIONS.

University Of Tennessee, Memphis TN

Investigators