From: ken.edgett@asu.edu (Ken Edgett)
Subject: Astron. Article/Mars topography
Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 16:13:07 -0700 (MST)
Dear Mars Educators-- Ok, I finally got a chance to see the July 1997 Astronomy article (p. 32) about the Mars topography stuff. The article says that ASCRAEUS MONS is taller than OLYMPUS MONS> I'd say that I *could* believe that. I'd like to see the work, though. I've never heard of the two guys they refer to, but I know the group in Germany is doing some pretty neat work... The article also says that there is some point in Margaritifer Sinus that is deeper than Hellas. I could almost believe it, but I am not convinced without seeing their work. There is a very old, deep, eroded basin there, called Ladon Basin (I doub't you can see this on a map). However, I would still bet MONEY that Hellas is deeper, and that Chryse Basin is the next deepest area. Both of these have so many channels that drain into them-- it would make sense that they are deeper. But, you know how science *is*. Neither of the high and low features mentioned in the article really are the highest or lowest until proven "guilty". So I'll stick with Hellas and Olympus, for now. Ken Edgett Arizona Mars K-12