White Rocks on Mars

More white stuff showing up in Curiosity images. Some sort of encrustation.




Looks like good fodder for the chem lab.

What makes up the rocks? Do they have like limestone or chalky stuff up there?

reply to post by ObservingYou

It certainly looks chalky.
Odd how it's only on portions of the stone though. It looks like the stone was overturned by Curiosity and the material was on the underside.

Looks just like the white stuff I see leaching out of my limestone.

Efflorescence

Efflorescence is a white crystalline or powdery, often fluffy/fuzzy deposit on the surface of masonry materials like concrete, brick, clay tile, etc. It's caused by water seeping through the wall/floor/object. The water dissolves salts inside the object while moving through it, then evaporates leaving the salt on the surface. It can be relatively easy to remove compared to some other stains. Often these salts are water soluble and, if outside, may disappear of their own accord with normal weathering. This is particularly true of "new-building bloom." The water soluble salts can be removed by dry brushing or with water and a stiff brush. Heavy accumulation or stubborn deposits of white efflorescence salts can usually be removed with a solution of muriatic acid and scrubbing (1 part acid to 12 parts water -- this is a real acid, follow precautions on the label). Wet the surface well before and after the solution is applied. Less common salts, that change their chemical structure during efflorescence formation, require proprietary compounds to remove.

www.factsfacts.com...

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by ObservingYou

 

It certainly looks chalky.
Odd how it's only on portions of the stone though. It looks like the stone was overturned by Curiosity and the material was on the underside.

aww come on Phage you know that rock is painted ! just admit it ! your wrong ! hehehe sorry phage i had to post that before one of your foes did

better to hear it from someone who admires your work on ATS Cheers good buddy

Hopefully Curiosity will be testing this substance/rock face soon, and, even more hopefully, impaired will be making a gigapan to bring them right into our living rooms and/or nightmares.

So is this a possible sign of rocks filled with fossilized organics? Limestone is basically sea shells right?

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by ObservingYou

 

It certainly looks chalky.
Odd how it's only on portions of the stone though. It looks like the stone was overturned by Curiosity and the material was on the underside.

It looks ground down to me-almost as if it has a pattern from the drill tip.

Swamp gas. I read it in a book on amazon! Remember that one Phage?

Interesting pics. Anyone going to have a stab at what it might be?

Not an expert, but since it was possible that rivers once flowed, could it be salt deposits? Then again, if that rock is suppose to be ancient and laying there forever and a day, isn't it odd to have such a thin coating on the base of it that can be knocked off that easy? It looks so crumbly, and from turning over rocks in various river banks, I have found a much harder deposit of silt and clay, and these rocks are no where near the age of these.

Here is your first picture.




Also notice all the pebbles?

Looks like river rock that I use in some of my landscaping.

i,m going for aliens being a crap shot as me and missing the rover with the rock,hence it bouncing off other rocks and causing the damage trust me their up there now planing their next move

All the edges are slightly rounded, what is it thats rounded them off like that? Looks to me like that rock has been rolling around on the...sea bed?

Anomalous reflections, obvious tricks of the lighting / probe cameras.

Move along.

Looks kind of like this.

looks calcium based.. so far it seems calcium, quartz.. and dirt.

reply to post by Phage


Not sure what that is... I was reminded of something found here, in some of our trees. I can't remember what it's called, but it appears in the rings of trees. I have never seen it inside a tree, before it has been processed.

I have ordered hardwood flooring before and some of the boards will have a very soft, white material present in the rings of the wood. It appears like some sort of mold.

I know wood and Mar's rocks are far from similar, but I wonder if it could be similar in any way, other than a vague reminder?

Also, it reminds me of some type of ash. Not sure how hot it would need to be to set a Mar's rock on fire, lol...

Something else rather curious looking, in the first photo at the top left hand corner area, just below the rock base is what looks to my eyes an indentation of some sort. Looks circle like to me with a straight line down the middle. Is anyone else seeing this? Just say shadow and lighting anomaly , works for me , lol.

Caliche, calcium deposit.

Originally posted by Phage
More white stuff showing up in Curiosity images. Some sort of encrustation.




Looks like good fodder for the chem lab.

edit on 1/21/2013 by Phage because: (no reason given)

I love how the wheels crush the rocks...



And on a completely unrelated note, I apologize for the times you were right and I was wrong how I got angry at you for it. I think I get it now.