Mars Festival - Death Valley

Death Valley National Park and NASA co-sponsored a two day event of scientific presentations and field trips dubbed the "Mars Festival". The events were designed to highlight the research that NASA scientists, and other planetary scientists have done in the valley, using it as a Mars analog site to study features similar to the Martian surface, and design experimental packages to detect life living in an extreme environment. Here are a few photos taken at two sites, Mars hill and Ubehebe Crater. March, 2012.

Here scientists, educators and Park staff gather at "Mars Hill", a place that has been used to examine a surface similar to some on Mars. Some Mars rover designs have been tested here for mechanical and navigation purposes.
Dr. Aaron Zent of NASA describes some of the work done here, particularly in preparation for the NASA Mars Phoenix mission, which successfully landed on Mars in 2008.
Surface of Mars Hill - a mixture of volcanic boulders, stones, sand, and some wind-blown dust.
Another view from Mars Hill, looking down onto the floor of Death Valley.

Ubehebe Crater, in northern Death Valley, is the result of a violent volcanic (pyroclastic) explosion, when rising magma encountered shallow ground water. This may have occurred only a few thousand years ago, and is the largest of several such eruption sites in the vicinity. The crater is about a half mile wide, and 500 feet deep.
Dr. Rosalba Bonaccorsi of NASA has been studying Ubehebe Crater for years, looking at the geological markers of molten magma and groundwater contact, and the subsequent erosion and sediment forming at it's bottom. Finding similar features on Mars helps understand evidence of water and volcanic activity on the planet, and perhaps places to find evidence of life.
The group begins to gather on the rim of the crater.
Dr. Bonaccorsi begins her lecture.

This is a dramatic landscape feature.
Deeply incised erosional channels on the crater's walls.
Remnants of a smaller crater on the shoulder of Ubehebe.