Link

Just a nickname.

I haven't ever seen an open pit project of any kind that used a spiral road. It's too long. They all use zig-zag roads.

I'm going with the nickname theory. NASA also called the Face on Mars a face, but that doesn't mean they actually thought it was a face. If NASA said exhumed, my first thought isn't that they are referring to an extra-terrestrial mining project, but rather to something that was once buried, and now is not. Considering the dramatic weather on Mars, I can't see why we wouldn't consider the wind as the most likely culprit. It isn't as if the same thing doesn't happen on Earth.

Here is an article about this crater from spaceflightnow.com http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0208/18mgscrater/

Here is the text from there:

"Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images have shown time and again that the geology and history of Mars is complex. This picture shows a circular feature in northern Terra Meridiani at 2.3 deg N, 356.6 deg W. It is a mosaic of 3 MOC narrow angle images acquired in August 1999, November 2000, and June 2002. The black area is a gap in coverage resulting from data lost after transmission from Mars to Earth.

The circular feature was once an impact crater. The crater was 2.6 km (1.6 mi) across, about 2.6 times larger than the famous Meteor Crater in northern Arizona. Terra Meridiani, like northern Arizona, is a region of vast exposures of layered sedimentary rock. Like the crater in Arizona, this one was formed by a meteor that impacted a layered rock substrate. Later, this crater was filled and completely buried under more than 100 m (more than 327 ft) of additional layered sediment. The sediment hardened to become rock. Later still, the rock was eroded away -- by processes unknown (perhaps wind) -- to re-expose the buried crater. The crater today remains mostly filled with sediment, its present rim standing only about 40 m (130 ft) above its surroundings."

I slightly re-worded the following explanation of how an exhumed crater is formed, but you can check the original words at: http://www.marsgeo.com/Spirit/HomePlate.htm

- layered volcanics are deposited before the meteorite impact
- meteorite impact creates the crater and surrounding hills
- previously continuous, relatively flat layers are now tilted, disrupted and brecciated
- wind blown sediments fill crater floors
- interaction with ground water alters sediments or lithologies
- crater eventually exhumed by deflation over time
- differential erosion removes the softer layers locally creating discontinuous mesas

As "dull" as that sounds - makes sense! Good post!!

They use the circular roads down here on Earth too, here's a couple pics of Earth mines;







Looks very similar, pretty interesting

I stand corrected. That being said, these are pretty steep sided mines, not very large in diameter. How large is the one in the Mars picture?

According to the NASA specs - the width of the picture = 2.920 kilometre [km] equivalent to: 1.81449 mile

Here is a graphic idea.

[attachmentid=29633]

Jj -

do they have more pics of this area, showing the rest of the "mine" ? or is it only shown on this spesific strip? would be intersting to see the areas around it as well

...also I've noticed that photos of qanats...and Iran qanat technology...over 3000 years old and 170000 miles of them.......match that up with the photos of Mars...

It gets you thinking.... Subterranian technology...




http://users.bart.nl/~leenders/txt/qanats.html

http://images.google.com/images?q=qanats&a...a=N&ndsp=20

Here's a more complete picture darkbreed:

Crystal sage: Intersting stuff there, didnt know about that.

Hugh: Thanks mate, well appreciated!

Just my opinion , but...

This is all B.S. ! If your into it , then you should contact John Lear or Richard Doty directly because they will talk to you!

Most people I think would prefer not to. That's a hint.

People will see what they want to see.

Let's just send somebody to Mars already and get it over with.

Heres a more detailed picture of the area.



The black sqaures a data transmission error

I don't think this is so unbelievable even Arthur C. Clarke claims that there are indication of prosperous life on Mars:

From "Wired"
A couple of years ago, when the Mars Global Surveyor was circling the Red Planet and beaming snapshots back to Earth, science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke lectured remotely to an audience gathered at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Speaking from his home in Sri Lanka, Clarke informed the crowd that the images he'd downloaded from NASA's Web site showed something growing on the planet's surface. "I'm quite serious when I say I have a really good look at these new Mars images," Clarke said. "Something is actually moving and changing with the seasons that suggests, at least, vegetation." more