Terraced Hills of Mars

Terraced Hills of Mars
(1 of 3)
In article , "Rick"
writes:

Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 00:36:34 -0800
Beside a liquid lake or ocean, what other possible explanations
could account for these terraced hills?
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Hi Rick, and Greetings Y'all.

First let me note that the above URL link to the APOD (Astronomy Picture of the
Day,) shows different daily pictures.

Here's the Archive link to the Terrace pictu
APOD: 2003 December 24 - Layered Hills on Mars
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031224.html

And the small (on that page) jpg picture and larger gif it links to:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...shills_mgs.jpg
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...ls_mgs_big.gif

RC7-note: The larger gif includes landscape (north?) of the terraces which
looks a little like glacial (ice age) geology, (sort of like the "Land of
Lakes" area of Canada,) but it looks even more like what would result from
massive tidal surges resulting from oceanic asteroid impacts.

But let's re-read the PICTURE CAPTION from that page:

"Explanation: Why are some hills on Mars so layered? The answer is still under
investigation. Clearly, [dark windblown sand] surrounds outcropping of light
[sedimentary rock] across the floor of crater [Arabia Terra]. The [light rock]
clearly appears structured into many [layers], the lowest of which is likely
very old. Although the [dark sand forms dunes], rippled dunes of lighter
colored sand are easier to see surrounding the stepped [mesas]. Blown sand
[possibly] itself eroded once-larger mesas into the layered hills. Most of the
[layered shelves] are wide enough to drive a [truck] around. The [above image],
showing an area about 3 kilometers across, was taken in October by the [Mars
Global Surveyor spacecraft] currently orbiting [Mars]."

RC7-note: Square brackets were added to Caption to signify links on the
original web page. These links from that page have additional info:

Link: Arabia Terra
http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/dec00_seds/8N7W/
Link: layers
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast04dec_2.htm

RC7-note:
The Arabia Terra link above indicates roughly 8 degrees North Latitude and 7
degrees West Longitude for the area, making it close to the present day
equator. Note also that the hills are within a larger "crater" area, meaning
the crater was made, before the area was under water, when the "sedimentary
rock" was formed - possibly a crater lake/sea for awhile, and erosion of the
crater rim gradually allowed water to escape? Of course, there would have to
have been a lot more atmosphere then, as well as warmer climate for liquid
water. (I remember swimming in a water filled bomb crater in Vietnam - What
people do to be cool.

RC7-comments:
There are at least two impact tidal surge possibilities that could result in
sedimentary layers that come to mind. One would be that this area was under
water when this crater area was made, and the suspended dirt and silt settled
directly into place. The other, as hinted at the beginning of this message, and
seems more likely - is that an oceanic impact(s) elsewhere sent one or more
tidal surges into this area, filling the (later to be) terraced area with
sediment and producing the washed out streaked area at the upper part of the
larger gif. Note the 4 nearly parallel almost evenly spaced streaks in the
upper right.

RC7-comments:
I probably shouldn't mention this, but when I first saw the Terrace picture, my
first thought was "STRIP MINING", and the caption did say -most- of the shelves
are wide enough to drive a -truck- around. (Oh, oh, did I just give the "Mars
Face" Folk more ammunition? Nah, they'll probably interpret it as an equatorial
hanging gardens paradise resort.

(This one looks more like a strip mine though
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030815.html

Clear Skies! --Richard

(Please see also my next message. Thanks.

Terraced Hills of Mars
(2 of 3)
See Pictu APOD: 2003 December 24 - Layered Hills on Mars
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031224.html

[The image is located near 8.9°N, 1.2°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide.
Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.]

In article , Ookie Wonderslug
writes:

Of the 10 or 15 people I have shown this picture, ALL of them have
said they see lakes in that picture. I see lots of water (or something
very similar) in that picture too. It seems obvious that the terraces
are caused by lowering water levels.

The darker areas in that low resolution picture do give that impression, but
see my previous message quote of the caption, and (LOL) "Land of Lakes"
comment. Apparently, the higher resolution picture the caption author was
looking at, showed that "dark sand forms dunes" in those areas. (Decomposing
carbon-based organic matter in ponds and lakes that dry up, do tend to have a
darker color than surrounding areas.) And wow, look at all of those erosion
gullies radiating away from some of those hills like solar rays. It is -so-
very obvious that there was a lot more water on Mars in former days.

(Isn't it about time for the "Mars was always dry" people to stick their
collective head in a bucket of water three times, and like, pull it out twice?


Clear Skies, Astro-Peeps! --Richard

(Please see my "poetic" message next. Thanks.

Terraced Hills of Mars
(3 of 3)
See Pictu APOD: 2003 December 24 - Layered Hills on Mars
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031224.html

In article ,
(EV World Editor) writes:

What I find intriguing are the two mesas on the lower right side of
the image. It appears obvious that there was "flow" of some sort
around these outcrops that carved them into nearly airfoil shape.
I would guess liquid water rather than airborne dust.

Hi "Editor", (Should I check my spelling?

Yes, very intriguing. And actually, we shouldn't have to guess - that lower
right TEAR DROP shaped hill is "virtually" CRYING:

Water, water, every where,
And all the hills did shrink!
Water, water, gone, but where,
On yonder star, yuh think?

I'm not an ancient mariner,
As all can plainly see;
I'm only one dry tear drop here,
Upon a sandy sea.

O bright blue star, with silver moon,
My plea rise up to thee:
Upon my tongue, a drop, just one,
That's all I ask for me.

But O my tongue, through utter drought,
More withers at the root;
Yet more I speak, for ought or nought,
(Sniff,) 'scuze me, gotta snoot.

(: Part Two

"Stunned by that loud and dreadful sound,
Which sky and ocean smote,"
Upon the land, the stars did pound,
And crumbled all my moat.

Upon the rift, where sank the deep,
The waters whirled around;
And naught was left, yet here we weep,
Dry tears upon the ground.

(The hill, the hill, the tear drop hill,
Upon the plain did sit;
And woe the tale, upon the vale,
Where asteroids did hit.)

And now my friend, you're sad, I see,
But cry no more for me:
The second picture, do you see?
My once lost Play-uh-dee!

--"Rhyme of Pleione's Tear Drop", (c)2003-12-29 by Richard Clark
(22 hours - Whew! Poetry is too much strain, on the brain!

Some lines above are partial quotes from: "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
[1798] by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which had several lines and ideas
contributed by William Wordsworth.
http://www.gutenberg.net/etext94/rime10.txt

And now, Gentle Reader, sit back and look again, at the terraced hill-stars of
Mars. [1st picture] From the lower right tear drop hill-star of the "mother"
Pleione, move your eyes up to the more fatherly "Atlas" hill, then left to the
daughter hill "Alcyone"; further left - two more hills (holding hands?)
"Electra" with "Celaeno" below. (Yes, I know, Celaeno in the sky is further to
the left - move the "proper motion" back a few thousand years - it shifts to
the right Next, on the biggest hill below, 3 peaks in a triangle, at about
1:00 o'clock, 5:00, and 8:00 - "Maia", "Sterope", and "Taygeta". [Click on 1st
picture to view the 2nd picture] Look above Alcyone and behold: the "lost" star
hill of "Merope", missing in the 1st picture. What? Merope is too far away? -
probably tried to elope with Barnard's Runaway Star, or something. (See the
baby hill nearby?

"Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of
Orion?" (--the Lord, speaking to Job 38:31)

"The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the
seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches."
(--the Lord, speaking to John in Revelation 1:20)

See Also: APOD: 2003 December 27 - The Pleiades Star Cluster
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031227.html

Of course, it's "probably" just coincidental that these hills are arranged
"sort of" like the Pleiades, the seven stars. However it is worth noting, that
the heavenly M45 (Pleiades) star cluster is still immersed in wondrous
sparkling blue seas - so-called "reflection nebulae." But the last tear drop on
Mars has been high and dry for quite a many years now. (Do we really need to
ask what happened, to the atmosphere and water on Mars?)

"Stunned by that loud and dreadful sound,
Which sky and ocean smote,"

We see, that about ninety-one percent of the Mars craters are found, on that
half of Mars called: "The Hemisphere of Craters". The largest crater is 6 miles
deep. In "The Opposite Hemisphere", the Tharsis bulge sticks out -more- than 6
miles. When the fifth planet between Mars and Jupiter was destroyed and became
the asteroid belt, Mars was bombarded with a massive "blitzkrieg" of hundreds
and thousands of fragments *before* it could rotate much more than 40 minutes
upon its moaning axis.

The question is not, What happened to the water? - the question is, Why did God
spare 8 souls in an ark here on earth? And why does he still want to spare our
souls? Thanks in advance for your patience and kind replies. (I truly hope my
poetic message will be better received than Paul's quoting of poetry in Acts
17:22-34 "in the midst of Mars' hill."

God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance. The word of faith says, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raise him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved; For whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved. (Let not the hills of your cheeks be hard and dry, pour
out your heart to the Lord now, while he is near.) The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ be with us all. Amen. --Richard

A Fresh Look: The Waters of Noah
http://members.aol.com/AVBibleTAB/flood/f00.htm