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Meridiani (Mars)

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Meridiani Planum is an extended plain on Mars centered at 357.5°E/0.2°N in the western part of an Albedo feature called Sinus Meridiani. Meridiani Planum was the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity (MER) in 2004. In Meridiani Planum cross-bedded sedimentary rocks are exposed that contain crystalline hematite (Fe2O3) and sulfate-rich Minerals such as jarosite. The presence of the latter mineral indicates an acid and saline environment and a soil saturated with liquid water during a considerable period of time. Airy-0, a small crater of 0.5 km in diameter at 0°E/5.1°S, defines the prime meridian of Mars. It is located within the larger (40 km) crater Airy in southern Meridiani Planum.

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  1. DLR, Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    Ralf Jaumann

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  1. Ralf Jaumann
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Correspondence to Ralf Jaumann .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Jaumann, R. (2014). Meridiani (Mars). In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_959-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_959-4

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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