The Cliff
The Cliff (figure 14) is an elongated,
raised area topped by a straight, sharp ridge running down its length.
This ridgeline lines up perfectly with the center of the Tholus (figure
19). It is located next to a two-mile wide impact crater having a very
clear, circular ejecta blanket, or “splash”. The splash has a mud-like
appearance suggesting subsurface water. Researchers immediately noticed
that the Cliff sits atop the ejecta. This is odd because the geologically
recent and violent splash should have blown over, on, and against the long-standing
presumably geologically formed Cliff, if not totally obliterating it. The
eastern side of the Cliff, the area splash should have accumulated the
most, looks hollowed out. The western side shows signs of “plowing”, or
furrows. It seems the Cliff must have been formed after the impact had
occurred, a geological anomaly (Carlotto 1997).
Fig. 14
The Cliff (Carlotto) |
Odyssey obtained the following VIS image of the Cliff area. Note the straight line atop the cliff as well as the peculiar mesas just to its northeast and south.
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On January 31, 2001 new MGS images of the Cydonia region, including an image of the Cliff, were posted on the MSSS web site. These can be found at
http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/01_31_01_releases/cydonia/index.html
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