C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: What ARE You in for? Geography S/07 Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue (Images mostly from NASA)
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars? How have you imagined Mars?
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars? How has science imagined Mars? Schiaparelli’s canali ( )
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars? How has science imagined Mars? Lowell’s canals
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars? How has science imagined Mars? Viking’s dead, dry Mars ( )
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars? How has science imagined Mars? 1990s/2000s: could Mars once have been warm and soggy?
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Planet of Extremes The tallest volcano in the solar system Olympus Mons: 24 km tall, 500 km wide, a 6 km cliff at its base
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Planet of Extremes The longest and deepest canyon in the solar system Valles Marineris: 4,000 km long, 2-7 km deep
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Planet of Extremes The mother of all impact craters Hellas Planitia: 6 km deep, 2,500 km in diameter
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Planet of Extremes Some spectacularly old impact-battered surfaces Some of these may be older than 3.5 billion years old Mariner (Sinus Sabaus & Deucalionis Regio)
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Planet of Extremes Unpleasant atmosphere Density varies a little over one half of one percent of Earth’s
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Planet of Extremes Unpleasant atmosphere Windy, dusty place
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Planet of Extremes Unpleasant atmosphere Really COLD place
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Planet of Extremes All this in a planet so much smaller than Earth ~15% of Earth’s volume!
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Tentative Course Outline In this class, we’ll go over: What does GEOgraphy have to do with Mars? The history of Mars exploration The basics of remote sensing Spacecraft and their sensors Mars as a planet in the solar system The landscapes of Mars The climates and weather of Mars Mars as it affects human imagination
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Grading “Opportunities” I grade on a modified curve, based on: The usual suspects: Midterm = 20% Final = 20% Writing projects: Annotated bibliography = 15% Novel report = 10% Group web report = 20% Labs = 10% Participation = 5%
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB Mars: Course Resources Course homepage: Syllabus Guidelines for assignments My contact and office hour information BeachBoard: Mostly points to web page Easy communication Make sure MyCSULB knows your main ! BeachBoard also provides grade records Textbooks: Crosswell, Magnificent Mars Boyce, The Smithsonian Book of Mars
C.M. Rodrigue, 2007 Geography, CSULB So, on to Mars!