Continued
Continued
3-6-01
Ubiquitous Bright Lines: What Are They?
When the first high-resolution Cydonia images arrived two years ago, one of the first features to attract attention was the "Coathanger" (less conservatively known as the "Dolphin"). Located just south of the "Face," this formation is most notable for its attendant bright lines (suggestive of a "trailer park" to some due to their uniform size and regularity).
Note bright columns on underside of mesa and similar, but much more regular, forms beneath dolphin-shaped formation. Various other bright features in this image (such as the apparent "dome") appear to be composed of material similar to that of the lines themselves.
The nature of these lines has yet to be ascertained. While their high albedo suggests they are made of ice, there doesn't seem to be a way to explain their alignment unless they were deliberately emplaced. The tantalizingly dolphin-like shape of the skinny, shallow mesa directly above has been of equal or greater interest in the online Cydonia community, as it suggests an additional terrestrial likeness gracing the now-frozen Cydonian desert.
As more Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) images of Cydonia became available, the presence of similar bright lines came to the attention of independent researchers. After Richard Hoagland identified the much-discussed "glass tunnel" (see previous page), the Enterprise Mission unveiled images of bright, closely packed cylinders thought to be "pipes" built by an ancient Martian civilization.
Bright, columnar features under investigation by the Enterprise Mission.
When "Mound P" was revealed in 2001, similar bright, regularly spaced lines became visible (see image below). Both Mound P and its neighboring hexagonal feature boast geometric properties consistent with artificiality, including bisymmetry and apparent structure.
Mound P shown with its satellite formation, which appears faceted. Note the bright lines ascending its slope.
The lines ascending the faceted structure's "platform" are near-duplicates of those seen on the perimeter of the Main City Pyramid. Astrophysicist Tom Van Flandern has suggested that these may constitute a kind of Martian "rebar" or structural matrix.
Whatever they are, the bright lines tend to cluster around candidate artificial landforms. Their presence may help tell us something about the civilization that once inhabited Cydonia . . . assuming, of course, there ever was one.
More bright lines can be seen lining the elevated ramp on top of the Cliff (discussed in more detail on the previous page).
Notice abundant bright lines to left of ruler-straight, elevated defile. Support structure?
Perhaps it should come as no surprise to find masses of bright lines bunched against the ramp's western side. The ramp's structural appearance would tend to confirm Van Flandern's suggestion that we are viewing an intelligently emplaced structural framework. The Cliff's unprecedented morphology, alignment, and proximity to the Face argue for an artificial origin.
What can be made of this?
Perhaps the lines' unusually high albedo can be explained if they are composed of glass -- a material found in abundance in Mars' soil in the form of silicates. Harvesting Martian silicates for architectural purposes is far from being a "fringe" concept. First proposed by Robert Zubrin in "The Case for Mars," the building-with-glass scenario was recently enacted by characters in award-winning science fiction writer and space advocate Ben Bova's "Return to Mars," in which an igloo-like greenhouse in constructed from indigenous Martian glass.
Given that glass is readily available on Mars and that a technological civilization may have existed there in antiquity, it's also just possible that Hoagland's "glass tunnel" is in fact just what he claims.
Example of known ice in the Cydonia Mensae region. This frozen pond is found in the center of an ancient crater, and its albedo is notably lower than that of the bright formations in question.
Continuing discoveries such as the presence of surprisingly abundant liquid water and a plethora of enigmatic surface features bolster the possibility of a former civilization on the Red Planet. In this context, the glassine (?) bright lines offer us a puzzle of truly exo-archeological magnitude.
3-7-01
Oddities Noted
Above is the six-sided formation to the right of Mound P (see previous article), heavily contrasted to bring out the "rim." Note that the facets seem to be curving in slightly, as if severely weathered.
Above is another six-sided formation on Mars. This tiered formation is found in a region dubbed "Giza" due to its abundance of building-like anomalies.
3-11-01
Martian "Tubes" Go Down The...You Know What
After perusing a great deal of high-resolution MGS data and looking at Richard Hoagland's proposed "tubes" in a geological context (rather than the isolated image currently featured on this site), I've "defected" to JPL's interpretation that these are probably natural formations. Their sheer meandering profusion on the Martian landscape detracts from a functional/artificial interpretation.
The hypothesis that these are transportation conduits is rendered untenable, in part, by their nonuniform appearance: some appear shallow, others deep; the spacing and uniformity of the "arches" differs wildly -- not traits expected of an intelligently designed tunnel system.
The issue of perspective has been the source of a great deal of confusion: Are we looking at concave or convex features? If actually arch-shaped, then a non-natural explanation would appear the most attractive. But a close look at the many alleged "tubes" seen in context with the fractured Martian surface reveals that the bright "dune" or "arch" formations appear to descend into their respective ravines. (Click here for more Martian "tubes.")
Similar deposits in Cydonia suggest an underlying geological mechanism for evenly spaced "arches."
While these features are strange and deserve to be studied, I am of the opinion that they represent a geological phenomenon probably related to sand deposition (i.e., the ravines channeling Martian dust in "ripples" not unlike waves in an ocean). And after viewing countless similar bright "ripples," I'm less certain of my hypothesis that these might be artificial glass structures, as presented in the previous article.
A less spectacular version of the Martian "tunnel," showing regularly spaced bright lines. Note bright sand attributed to "glass" in the best-known "worm" image.
But what of the seemingly glassy texture seen in the image on the previous page and discussed at length by Richard Hoagland? While I profess no certainty, this "translucent" aspect seems to be unique to Hoagland's "worm." I think the impression of "glass" can be more accurately attributed to the brighter-than-average dust that accompanies these formations. The brightness is erroneously interpreted as a reflection from a nonexistent "covering."
Another Martian "tunnel" that appears decidedly geological. The illusion of "arches" seen in the "worm" image are likely attributable to the slope of the ravine. In this image, the "arches" are level with the ground.
Furthermore, I think the "worm's" striking tunnel-like appearance stems from the anomalous bright reflection that Hoagland and others (myself included) have equated to a "sphere" or other object lodged in the "tube's" hollow throat, coupled by the image's eye-fooling orientation.
Then again, maybe I'm wrong. Whether the Martian "tubes" are interesting examples of Martian geology or the crumbling ruins of a megascale construction project, they have certainly served to focus our attention on the anomalies present in MSSS' vast catalogue of Mars imagery.
3-12-01
Tubular Logic
The Enterprise Mission's Mike Bara responds to the above piece with the following, concentrating on a conjecture I made regarding the decidedly irregular appearance of many of the hypothetical "tunnels."
"This [nonuniformity] is simply a consequence of the state of 'disrepair' they might be in. Some are more filled in than others because more silt or dust has settled into the trenches, or the once coherent tube structure has collapsed. As to spacing and uniformity, this just shows how much the writer does not know about engineering. If in fact this is engineering, the spacing would be different to accommodate differing topography, different characteristics of the surrounding soil, and various other design considerations like potential stresses on the structure. As a for instance, the denser the soil (or the deeper the 'tunnel'), the closer the arches would be together to provide more strength. Assuming the arches would all be of uniform spacing and size is like assuming that all the fasteners (about 1 million of them) on a 747 are the same size type, material, diameter, length and spacing. [...] The same rules apply to architecture. To assume that such a characteristic some how "disqualifies" something as artificial is silly and ignorant."
Actually, I'm in general agreement with Bara's premise -- to a point. A significant amount of dilapidation is to expected of the proposed structures on Mars, which may be hundreds of thousands if not millions of years old. But while the logic behind Bara's retort is not unfounded, it also smacks of a certain theoretical desperation. In the case of the "tubes," the "it looks like a geological feature because it's really old" argument serves only to underline the weakness of the original theory.
Paranormal researcher Albert Budden has noted that Occam's Razor is a bit silly, in that we're not looking for the simplest answer; we're looking for the right answer. And I agree with Richard Hoagland that Carl Sagan's endlessly repeated maxim "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" is founded on a kind of epistemological schizophrenia: Who gets to decide what's "extraordinary"?
Regarding the hypothesis that the interesting, "ribbed" features on Mars comprise a system of "tunnels," one needs only to point out the readily discernable geological attributes of similar, less spectacular features (see photos above). These clearly represent the same phenomenon. But despite the similarity, one is hard-pressed to attribute them to anything but sand deposition. If the Martian "tunnels" are in fact tunnels, then the "Tunnel Hypothesis," as presented by the Enterprise Mission, must encompass these less-than-impressive examples as evidence of artificial construction.
Hoagland and Bara have chosen to explain these away as the product of structural decay. Actually, it's not difficult to see how this reasoning could be used to attribute any enigmatic surface feature to intelligent design.
Finally, much has been made about Arthur C. Clarke's "endorsement" of Hoagland's Martian "tunnel." It should be noted that while Hoagland eagerly exploits Clarke's bewilderment with the so-called "tube" as proof that he's onto something big, the parties in question don't even agree on what it represents. Clarke is clear that he considers the "tube" as a candidate Martian lifeform. Hoagland, on the other hand, is emphatic that the "tube" is an artifact built by intelligent beings.
Needless to say, the difference between simple lifeforms (in this case, a worm) and an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization cannot be overstated.
Arthur C. Clarke is a visionary scientist and author and we would be wise to listen to what he has to say -- but only if properly couched in the knowledge that scientific fact is delegated not by perceived authority, but by verifiable hypotheses. Clarke is neither a biologist nor an expert on Martian geology. It's unclear to me why we need to take his speculation as gospel, as Hoagland and others are apparently content to do.
You can be wrong -- even if you're Arthur C. Clarke.
"Tunnel" Features in "3-D"
Above is an example of "tunnel" terrain seen in stereo context, courtesy of correspondent Chris Joseph. The overall validity of the synthesized 3-D effect is the subject of some question, but appears substantially accurate. Hopefully future efforts by Mark Carlotto will help us address the tunnel enigma more thoroughly.
Note: To experience "Mars-Vision," relax your eyes and focus in between the two images. The images should fuse, providing the illusion of three-dimensional relief. The bright bands will appear as convex features, something like snack chips poking out of a bowl of dip.
10-14-01
The Martian "Tunnels": Let's Wait and See
I've enjoyed several e-mail conversations with Richard Hoagland, principal investigator for the Enterprise Mission and author of "The Monuments of Mars: A City On The Edge of Forever." When Hoagland first posted the Martian "tunnel" on his site, I was impressed. When interest in this feature (and others very much like it) was renewed by Arthur C. Clarke (who now speculates that the "tunnel" is a lava tube), I found myself looking deeper into the "tube" phenomenon and concluding that it's probably natural (see above).
In a letter to Hoagland, I offered that the tubes might be accountable for in terms of exotic geology. A portion of one of Hoagland's letters follows.
"You've said, 'I think they're natural.' That's the END of the discussion, as far as you're concerned. You DIDN'T say, 'I don't know what the hell these things are ... there's evidence they're artificial ... there's evidence they're natural ... and I want more information.' You've voted: they're natural. End of discussion.
"But now you say, 'I am perfectly willing to revise my stance on this (thus admitting that you've previously made up your mind ...).'
"So, you're now trying to have it both ways, after prematurely coming down on ONE side of the discussion ... just like JPL did with their unworkable 'sand dune' trial balloon.
"Then, after I said: You can't scientifically evoke one 'unknown' to 'explain away' another.
"You replied: No argument there. I never did this.
"But you HAVE! [...] And, that's the 'no no.' You CAN'T evoke 'exotic geology' -- by definition, something _never_ seen before on any planet (especially Earth)! -- to 'explain' a newly-discovered, 'unknown phenomenon' on Mars. By the rules of the game, if you can't think of an known 'natural process' which makes 'cross-braced tunnels,' you must select a KNOWN process which DOES makes 'tunnels' ...
"And we know of one. They're called 'engineers.'"
The purpose of posting this is simply to reiterate that no, I don't know the "tubes" are natural features. I think they probably are. I lack the geological expertise to make a final answer on the subject, and want to be clear to readers of this site that I've never claimed any such expertise; I've been quite content to simply document the ongoing process of planetary SETI, pointing out oddities and inconsistencies when applicable.
While Hoagland and I differ in our estimations of the magnitude of the Cydonia mystery, I concede that his argument holds water in the strange case of the "tubes." Until a specific model is proposed that can account for the "tubes," artificiality remains a possibility.
My personal opinion is that we will eventually find out these things are exotic natural features. But until we have proof, the Artificiality Hypothesis certainly deserves to be entertained. In that spirit, I welcome any forthcoming data from the Enterprise Mission.
Preliminary Shape-From-Shading Rendering of Eroded "Tunnel"
Using a variation of "shape-from-shading," a technique used to reveal the morphology of planetary surface features, Chris Joseph has produced the first tentative reconstruction of a Martian "tunnel," shown below.
The skeleton of a derelict Martian tunnel or anomalous geology?
While Joseph cautions that these results are preliminary and may be flawed, comparison to the raw data (especially Joseph's stereoscopic view, posted above) shows that they are largely sound. Whatever these features are, they are clearly convex and unusual. But are they artificial?
I've proposed that the next "tunnel" to be subjected to shape-from-shading analysis should be the especially mystifying "glass tube" discovered by Richard Hoagland. Hoagland has postulated that the "glass tube" may represent an artificial feature in a substantially better state of repair, thus the possible presence of "glass." If Hoagland is correct, then a thorough "shape-from-shading" rendering of this feature may reveal confirming detail.
