C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars: What ARE You in for?

Geography 494-01S/07

Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue(Images mostly from NASA)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars?

How have you imagined Mars?

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars?

How has science imagined Mars? Schiaparelli’s canali (1877-1886)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars?

How has science imagined Mars? Lowell’s canals

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars?

How has science imagined Mars? Viking’s dead, dry Mars (1976-1982)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars?

How has science imagined Mars? 1990s/2000s: could Mars once have been warm and soggy?

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, 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, 2007Geography, 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, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars: Planet of Extremes

The mother of all impact craters Hellas Planitia: 6 km deep, 2,500 km in diameter

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars: Planet of Extremes Some spectacularly old impact-battered surfaces

Some of these may be older than 3.5 billion years old Mariner 6 1969 (Sinus Sabaus & Deucalionis Regio)

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars: Planet of Extremes Unpleasant atmosphere

Density varies a little over one half of one percent of Earth’s

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars: Planet of Extremes Unpleasant atmosphere

Windy, dusty place

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars: Planet of Extremes Unpleasant atmosphere

Really COLD place

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars: Planet of Extremes

All this in a planet so much smaller than Earth ~15% of Earth’s volume!

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, 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, 2007Geography, 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, 2007Geography, CSULB

Mars: Course Resources

Course homepage: http://www.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/mars/

Syllabus Guidelines for assignments My contact and office hour information

BeachBoard: Mostly points to web page

Easy e-mail communication Make sure MyCSULB knows your main e-mail!

BeachBoard also provides grade records Textbooks:

Crosswell, Magnificent Mars Boyce, The Smithsonian Book of Mars

C.M. Rodrigue, 2007Geography, CSULB

So, on to Mars!