Planetary Environments Class Schedule:

Meetings: Friday at 10 AM

PLACE: Tentatively, SCA 117/139 (we'll see how this works)

1/8: Organizational

1/15: MOLA, MGS, and the modern Mars exploration program - what are they doing? Where are they going?

Introduction to Internet resources for Planetary studies.

Convener: J. Ryan

1/22: Lecture: The Tools of a Planetary Geologist - Cameras and their subsitutes- what can they tell us?

--In class planetary imagery interpretation activity.

Assignment for next sessions: Pick your spot on Mars, and come ready to talk about it! (Viking imagery exercise)

1/29: No class- Professor in DC on mass spec!

2/5/99, 2/12/99: The primary planetary landforms - volcanoes and craters.

--J. Ryan - presentation on craters, crater morphologies, and crater "dating"

--Ivan Savov: presentation on volcanic features on Solar System bodies

--Class Activity - The style of Martian volcanism, and crater "ages", drawn from your spots on Mars!

2/19/99, 2/26/99: Water-induced landforms, on Earth and on other worlds.

--Guest presentation: Rick Oches

Student presentations: Water on other Solar System worlds?

--Jim Inman, Jeremy Turner

Mars Surface interpretation activities continue: "hydrologic" and "sedimentary" features, and their origins. Timing of landform development - how do you tell?

You need to have gotten approval from me for a project topic by 2/26/99!!

3/5/99: Divining geologic processes and history from landforms analysis.

--Monica Palanseau - Martian climate history, based on Viking.

--Jay McMindes - Tectonic comparisons of Martian and Terrestrial volcanism -what rocks should we find?

3/12/99: NO CLASS: Spring Break.

3/19/99: Chemical Data from other worlds - how do we get it, and at what resolution?

--Steve Scruggs - Water on the Moon? Who found it and how?

3/26/99: NO CLASS - Professor at SE GSA!

Preparation for next sessions: rocks from other worlds!

4/2/99, 4/9/99, 4/16/99**: The data from Extraterrestrial Rocks, and its interpretation

--J. Ryan - an introduction to Meteorites and Meteoritics

--Livio Tornabene - Rocks from the Moon and Mars - how they

compare, and how they may have come to be petrologically.

--Guest Lecture: Lisa Robbins - ALH84001, and indications for microbial life?

---Internet Activity: Interpreting rocks from other worlds, in thin section.

Projects Due by 4/16/99!!

**May only be two sessions, depending on Professor's travel schedule!