reply to post by Phage
if it is even remotely artificial, it would be more than likely some type of natural camoflage for a mundane, modern structure like a tent. the
addition of martian sand to the topside of it, suggests either
1) the opposite side that we can't see has a drift of martian sand against that side, which is spilling over the viewable side... however, if such
were the case, there would be a small heap of sand on the viewable side on the ground, along the length of the structure, indicating the sand stacked
up on the other side and spilled over the top, draining onto the ground. it's not there so that indicates either
--a) it's somewhat to very old. some unknown effect of the climate which solidifies sand drifts into hard crusts at some point after their formation
has kept it from leaving a heap on the viewable side, or
--b) it's very new and the sand hasn't had the chance to create a sizeable sand dump on the viewable side, or
2) it's deliberately added for the purpose of protecting the contents of the structure, like adding lunar regolith to the structures of the proposed
lunar base at the south lunar pole. or
3) it's not stacked up sand at all, nor camoflage, but rather a layer of sand that has been deposited on the top as a result of a sandstorm or the
ilk.
[edit on 27-8-2008 by undo]