Date and time: 24 April 2012, 0830 hrs - 1230 hrs
Written by MSPS Ali Harley /CDR Mogosanu, Crew 118
Crew Members:
Hari Mogosanu, Mike Bodnar, Don Stewart
Coordinates:
PHBPK - Waypoint 137: 12 S 519390/ NAD 4250183, elevation 1431
Phobos Peak is the rock on the top of the hill to the right
Here is the closest I could get to the coordinates of the peak.
Spot on would have had me climbing on top of it which I did not dare!!
Transit Mode:
On ATV's via the road, and then on foot to KCR (Kissing Cammel Ridge) East End.
Objectives:
To photograph lichens and to look at the wind erosion on the plain leading from the Hab to Phobos Peak and on the slopes of Phobos Peak itself.
Results:
Lichen photography:
The desert is teaming with life and we found lichens everywhere. We identified visually at least 6 different types; we found one rock at the foot of Phobos Peak covered in a symphony of colours and shapes.
EVA 02 investigated types of lichens that can be found in the Utah desert to further compare them with New Zealand and contribute the knowledge gained to school resources related to ecology, terraforming and ancient life forms.
Wind erosion:
There were some flat slabs of sandstone resting on softer grey sandy siltstone.
They had all been subject to extreme weathering, e.g. cracked, broken, slumped, and the grey sandy layer had eroded much faster than the sandstone, leaving the sandstone sitting on pillars of grey sandy layers.
We also wanted to find and investigate petrified underwater sand dunes.
We did find them (see picture above), banded with alluvial stream deposits of small rounded pebbles.
On the Kissing Cammel Ridge there was a high contrast between the inverted KCR stream sediments.
Another interesting aspect was to discover the Southern side of KCR bald of the now ubiquitous lichens (in comparison with the northern side). The Morrison on the Southern side is very steep (80 degrees approx.) and we speculate that the prevailing winds have caused this (see picture below).
Lessons Learned:
Take a ruler! And lots of water especially when gone climbing even though it looks like a small effort!
ENDS.