An Unusual Hole in Mars
Explanation:
What created this unusual hole in Mars?
Actually, there are numerous holes pictured in this
Swiss cheese-like landscape,
with all-but-one of them showing a dusty, dark, Martian terrain beneath
evaporating, light, carbon-dioxide
ice.
The most
unusual hole is on the upper right,
spans about 100-meters, and seems to punch through to a lower level.
Why this
hole exists and why it is surrounded by a circular crater remains a topic of
speculation, although a leading hypothesis is that it was created by a meteor
impact.
Holes such as
this are of particular interest because they might be
portals to lower levels that extend into expansive
underground caves.
If so, these naturally-occurring tunnels are relatively protected from the harsh
surface of Mars, making them relatively good candidates to
contain Martian life.
These pits are therefore prime targets for
possible future spacecraft, robots, and even
human interplanetary
explorers.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
