Mars also has a thin but active atmosphere with clouds, weather systems, and winds that erode the surface. There are some striking differences. Second, since the surface has not been recycled by plate tectonics, it provides a record of Mars stretching back to the late heavy bombardment. Finally, dust and wind dominate the erosion on Mars, with some dust storms reaching global scales. You will explore some of the unique geological features on the surface of Mars, starting with the global features and working down to smaller scales using Mars Global Surveyor Images.
Procedure Using the appropriate images, answer the following questions.
Record you answers on a piece of paper and turn them in upon completion. This composite map of Mars generates images from the Viking orbiter for display. Take a look at this image of the Tharsis chain of volcanos. These volcanos may have formed earlier in Mars' history when the crust moved over a hot spot. Calculate how fast the plate must have been moving if the formation occurred over 1 billion years.