Last edited on Oct. 29, 2015
The following is just one of numerous artificial landscapes on Mars that are still fooling many Earthlings (notes 1, 2). Yesterday I was reviewing one of my previous posts (note 3) and felt I need to elaborate on the reasons why the following objects are not rocks on Mars:
Red arrows point to objects that are not rocks on Mars. Location: Shaler in Gale crater, Mars. Snapshot from center top of original panorama at
Before I identify objects, I need to decide whether the objects were originally formed in situ (at the present site) or transported from elsewhere. This is important, because identification sometimes hinges on the context/location/environment where objects were originally formed.
In this case, the above objects were originally formed right at/near the present site, not transported from far away. The reason: The objects are relatively large, articulated to the ground (note red arrow points in following photos) and lined up in/near a straight line, so they could not have been transported from far away by wind or water or land slide, etc.
After I determined the objects were originally formed at the present site, I have to check what objects they are adjacent to. The original panorama and following photos show they are adjacent to sand and large plates (at bottom of original panorama), totally different from the chunky shape of the objects:
In view of the above, one has to explain why chunky objects, sand and large plates originally form adjacent to each other. Nature has no mechanism for forming these material together. Humans could form concrete blocks in soil.
Added on Oct. 28, 2015: Explanations
The sand could have been transported from elsewhere. But the chunky objects and the large plates were originally formed at the present site and eroded later. NASA claims the objects are sedimentary rocks with basaltic composition. One problem is how sedimentary rocks can contain basaltic composition. Another problem is how mineral deposition could form large chunks next to sand and large plates? Are the large plates really cross bedding as NASA claimed ? Does cross bedding on Earth lie next to chunky objects and sand? My answers to the above questions are simple: The chunky objects are broken concrete. The large plates are a kind of artificial stones that expose their laminated sheets owing to erosion.
Added on Oct. 29, 2015: Evidence for concrete and artificial stones
Texture of concrete blocks in the first photo above:
Red lines go to texture resembling that of concrete blocks. Red lines also mark structures not usually seen on natural rocks. Snapshot from original panorama at http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/136084