"Compare what look like ‘tracks’ on Mars as well as the Moon. The Mars image is the Mojave crater in the Xanthe Terra region. The Moon Image is within the crater Vitello, (Lunar Orbiter 5, frame 168-H2)." - Mike Singh

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Highlighted portion of HiRISE Image PSP_001415_1875 Click on Image for Larger View

Aptly-named Mojave crater in the Xanthe Terra region has alluvial fans that look remarkably similar to landforms in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California and portions of Nevada and Arizona. Alluvial fans are fan-shaped deposits of water-transported material (alluvium). They typically form at the base of hills or mountains where there is a marked break, or flattening of slope. They typically deposit big rocks near their mouths (close to the mountains) and smaller rocks at greater distances. Alluvial fans form as a result of heavy desert downpours, typically thundershowers. Because deserts are poorly vegetated, heavy and short-lived downpours create a great deal of erosion and nearby deposition. There are fans inside and around the outsides of Mojave crater on Mars that perfectly match the morphology of alluvial fans on Earth, with the exception of a few small impact craters dotting this Martian landscape. Channels begin at the apex of topographic ridges, consistent with precipitation as the source of water, rather than groundwater. This remarkable landscape was first discovered from Mars Orbital Camera images. Mars researchers have suggested that impact-induced atmospheric precipitation may have created these unique landscapes.

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Can anyone venture a guess as to how these could have formed? And the similarity on both the Moon as well as Mars? Are the same geological processes at work on different cosmic bodies? Or does the answer lie somewhere else?" - Mike Singh

Comments:
Letters have been sent to HiRISE team... no response yet... we will keep you posted - Zorgon

5/26/2007
Hi Ron,

Thanks for this. The consensus is that these are boulder tracks. Others have been seen also. Interesting, though.  Also my new e-mail address (per this e-mail).

Best,

Paul 

OK, David. So here's why I find the images so odd!

1. The tracks themselves. Must have been pretty recent as otherwise they would have been obliterated by Mars' frequent dust storms. 

2. The object at the end of the arc and the near perfect arc itself. How could this be a natural phenomenon? How can a boulder 'roll down' in this manner?

3. This boulder has moved uphill, towards higher ground of the re-entrant. What is the object? It seems to have moved under its own power, as its no way that this could have happened naturally.

4. The 'treads' of the other two tracks are the same as those found on the Moon. And these too are going uphill toward the darker brown area towards the left. If the treads are similar, then it follows that a similar object has moved on both cosmic bodies. And against the force of gravity!

5. The 'ramp' which I've circled. It leads on to the track. Looks pretty suspicious. What does it add up to?

6. So is there more than a natural explanation to this phenomena? Could they  be some sort of intelligently controlled objects? That's what we need to find out!!

Cheers!

    [/quote]

The article and details regarding these tracks on the Moon can be found on THIS PAGE in the Lunar Orbiter images. NASA claims they are made by "rolling rocks"

NASA Original Link

So what are these track marks?

NASA Released Pictures Taken on April 11 2003 of the future landing spot for the Mars Rovers.  The picture is quite remarkable because Huge Tracks That run for Miles is completely visible.  This is funny because Humans Never Set Foot On Mars Yet. - Source

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