#Caves??
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shocko61
Are we likely to find things like caves ? this looks like a hill with a dark opening on two sides . The only thing that makes me think it is not a cave there is a dark patch on the sun lit side of the hill . Cheers Ian shocko61
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p.titchin
these just look like 'blotch' deposits. The old Mars 'lit from bottom' illusion makes this look like a hill with shadows or caves, but I think it is in fact a hollow, the 'body' part of a 'spider' and it's channels, with a small vented dark deposit.
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Kitharode
moderator
in response to shocko61's comment.
Hi Ian. I think Pete has it right. With sunlight coming in from bottom right of the images, channels and depressions are lit on the left (upper) slope. The down slope (lower right side) of the channels are in shade. The 'blotchy' bit is dust; might even be a single fan that has blown over the spider channel (?)
It's highly likely that there are caves on Mars. They might have been found already. We know Mars was very different in the distant past, with lots of liquid water sloshing about, so there's every chance (I think) that caves will have been carved out somewhere.
Not sure about the south polar regions though. We've not seen any yet that's for sure. The SPLD's have probably erased any trace, Having said all that, there is an image (somewhere) of a 'chamber' underneath an extinct volcano. (I think it was a volcano). A 'directly overhead' photo gave a view of shadows in the chamber that could be measured, allowing scientists to estimate the dimensions of said chamber.
Excellent question though. Good stuff. 😉
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