Rock Sampling

Today was exciting rock sampling excursion. Our scientist for the day was Rosalbla. She is sedimentologist from NASA Ames. We traveled to a lava flow that an aa lava flow that dated between 9,000 and 20,000 years ago. It was called the Black Tank Flow. Rosalbla is looking for oxidized rock (or rocks that have a red tint). She is studying the oxidation and surrounding vegetation in the soil structures in comparison to terrestrial MARS. I was able to assist in a sterile sample acquisition. I was impressed to see that prior to using her pick or shovel she rubs them in the soil near the sample so at the very least it does not contaminate the sample with anything other then what is already in the profile. She makes notes in her journal. The same type of journal our students use everyday in science notebooking. She mentions making sketches of the sample in its natural environment in her notebook so when she took pictures she can remember which one goes with which sample. Our next stop was a site where the surface where the water had cut away and you could see original soil layers underneath the actual lava flow. It also included a site of a former water fall. That is the picture that I have included.

As a part of our trip we had Henry Sun with us. Henry is looking to answer the question “the minimal amount of moisture required to sustain normal life in a regular environment”. He believes that the desert varnish is not biological.