LIMA Challenge Fall 2008 NASA Quest Challenge! Proposal from: Students:  Mysty , Nicolas , Eric , Morgan , Kalee , Nathan , Ryan , Dameon , Austin , Peter Cheektowaga Central Middle School Science Club Cheektowaga, New York 14225 Teacher: Mr. John-Paul Martin

Proposal:

1. The name or description of our chosen ice feature:
   
   The unnamed ridge and cliffs are part of the Ohio Range.  When we zoomed in we found an opening at the center of the very large circular range.  It almost looks like a meteor impact semi circle or an extinct volcano which weathered away into it present form?  We are interested in the top center of the semi-circular ridge where it appears a gap or opening has been created by a flow or wind?
   
   
2. The image of our location.

   

   

3. Location of the feature we want to study.  along the top and base of the semi-circular ridge, part of the OHIO Range.
           x:  -532436.1
           y:  -214393.12


4. We are interested in this feature because it looks too round to be formed naturally. It is almost perfectly round from the satellite view.  It is part of a ridge of mountains called the OHIO RANGE, where there are other semi-circular curves which make up the ridge.  By studying the snow above and below, we may find meteorite fragments and fractured quartz in the rocks, which means an impact happened
   
   
5. We think it was formed by a meteor hitting at an angle or it could be what is left of an extinct volcano that blew up and out sideways like Mt. St. Helens.  We are interested in the cut at the top of the rim and what the rocks look like below.  We would like to see if there is any living things at the base of the cliff as the snow comes out into the circular plain.
   
   
6. We chose this site because it is a part of string of Mt. from the Ross ice shelf to the opposite ice shelf in the Weddell sea.

1. We think this site could produce some nice specimens of meteorites, and biological life at the cliff bas
2. We looked for areas that have not been explored and this one has no sites listed.  Therefore new data.
   
3. We would like to study the ice core from around the semi-circularly plain for biological life, like on Mars at the poles.
4. Buffalo, NY  has an ice core repository at the University of Buffalo.  We could go on a field trip and learn how to study the ices cores up close and learn what to look for when looking for signs of living things, how to handle ice cores to preserve them.
5. We could find out what are the possible causes of the other circular features on the Ohio range and determine if they are volcanic, tectonic, or from meteors slamming into the surface.