FRS 002Z — Sec. 001 — (2 unit) — CRN 76195 — T 6:10-8:30 pm — 175A Physics/Geology
Exploring Mars

Instructors: Louise Kellogg and Robert Zierenberg, Department of Geology, College of Letters and Science

Description: Two NASA rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are actively exploring the planet Mars, and the surface map of Mars is being continually improved by the Mars Orbital Camera. These missions provide a unique opportunity for scientific education. This seminar will focus on the scientific questions and societal factors driving these and other missions to Mars. We will discuss fundamental scientific questions such as how the planet has evolved and whether conditions on Mars could have sustained life. We will also discuss the technical challenges of sending missions to distant planets, the feasibility of sending humans to Mars, and the societal motivations behind space exploration.

Information will be presented through informal lectures, readings from scientific journals, in-class discussions, and extensive use of internet resources. We will use NASA’s web coverage of the Mars missions, adjusting the topics to take advantage of real-time developments. Students will be asked to critically evaluate information, and will work in small groups to research selected topics in more depth. We will also take advantage of NASA’s program allowing members of the public to propose “targets” to be photographed by the Mars Orbital Camera (http://www.msss.com/plan/moc), by asking students to propose a site for a photo to be taken of the surface of Mars. A key component of the assignment (and of NASA’s program) is that the purpose of the proposed image must be described in detail. This assignment will provide an opportunity for students to consider the scientific rationale for planetary exploration. We will assist students who wish to submit their proposed target to NASA for consideration.

The process of developing a Mars Orbital Camera target proposals allows the student to discover the basics of the scientific method on their own, i.e. observation, preliminary interpretation, development of hypotheses, and proposal of data collection to test the hypotheses. Students will learn to work collaboratively. The science will be discussed in terms of advancing basic knowledge, societal relevance, and philosophical implications of exploration.

Format: Students will be required to research a topic, in order to propose a possible target for the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbital Camera. Student will work collaboratively in small groups focused on topics such as volcanism, tectonics, climate history, and each student will prepare a specific proposal for the Mars Orbital Camera mission to test specific hypotheses related to those subjects. Outside reading will be assigned, but much of the research will be conducted using internet resources, particularly those provide by NASA that give students access to primary data from which they can form their own interpretations, guided by the instructors and their group members. Due to time and budget constraints, field trips to Mars will be virtual. Grading: Students will present their proposed target in written form and in class. The course grade will be based on the quality of their written (1/3) and oral (1/3) presentations of their research projects and on the frequency and quality of their participation in class discussion (1/3).

About the Instructors: Professor Kellogg is a member of the faculty and chair of the Department of Geology. Her research interests include the interiors of the Earth and terrestrial planets, with an emphasis on the processes driving tectonic activity on the planets. Current projects include numerical models of mantle plumes and deformation of the crust associated with earthquakes.

Professor Zierenberg is a member of the faculty in the Department of Geology. His research interests include aqueous geochemistry; stable isotope geochemistry; economic geology, and the environmental effects of mining. His research has focused on water/rock interaction in active and ancient hydrothermal systems, including the "black smokers" on the mid-ocean ridges, where life may have originated on Earth.