Is the face on mars a volcano?

There is a distinct heat signature that shows up on a thermal image of the face on mars. I have heard theories that this heat signature is from a nuclear reactor hidden beneath the surface. I, however, believe it is possible that the face is a volcano, and it is magma that shows up on the thermal imaging. The face is a large mountain-like structure, so this seems plausible to me. If anyone has any other information regarding this issue please reply. I am especially curious if anyone can prove the face is not a mountain or volcano because of certain laws of nature regarding geological land masses and such. Any input is greatly appreciated.

There are no active volcanoes on Mars. After thrity years of intense study and with three probes in orbit and the entire surface mapped not one eruption or evidence of active vulanism has been seen.

But your spot on, its not a nuclear reactor.

And where did the infra red pic come from? I didnt know there was one.

Very interesting! thank you for the reply. I found the image on the net. I don't remember where because I was looking at a lot of websites concerning the face on mars. I apologize, next time I'll make sure to include a link. I will continue to research this topic and see if I cant dig up anything new.

Originally posted by Amante
Very interesting! thank you for the reply. I found the image on the net. I don't remember where because I was looking at a lot of websites concerning the face on mars. I apologize, next time I'll make sure to include a link.

The picture links to www.marsearthconnection.com..., but the site currently down.

(Also see: Google)

As far as I can see the Infrared picture is not an official one.

This site looks into infra red images from Mars. (Difficult to read though...)

As everyone knows, there was only one Mars "face-pic" that was publicly known. It was a black and white photo. How does one take an infrared picture of a b&w picture?

Originally posted by firebat
As everyone knows, there was only one Mars "face-pic" that was publicly known. It was a black and white photo. How does one take an infrared picture of a b&w picture?

Actually, several photos were taken of it (1998 and 2001). They aren't circulated by the "face on Mars" crowd because in different light and at different angles, it's very clearly not a face or a sculpture.

www.msss.com...

science.nasa.gov...

www.msss.com...

I meant that there was only one face-pic taken from that time. The pictures you listed are from recently. I was just asking, since we know there's only one b&w picture of the face, that was taken originally, how the heck do we have infrared or thermal-image copies of the same picture? Is that even possible?

This is the original picture taken by the Viking I. The image posted initially looks entirely separate to me. Closer up and a different angle. I also know that infrared scans have been done of the entire Cydonia region and other outlying areas of the Mars surface. The image shown here is the only one I have seen that portrays heat from the face, but that doesn't mean that the photo was manufactured. Honesty, there has been some serious controversy whether or not the photos originally released by NASA and THEMIS are unaltered to begin with. Who can say which images are real and which are not? As for the volcano issue, recent studies have shown that there have indeed been active volcanoes on the Mars surface, and even more interesting, is that it could have been as early as 2 million years ago. Geologically speaking, that is nothing. Alan Moorhouse is a European space exploration scientists that believes he may be onto something that will change the modern conception of the Red Planet. He thinks that there may indeed be active volcanoes still on Mars, which would actually account for a heat signature coming from the Mars face. Here is that link:

Geological activity
on Mars

As far as the face is concerned, this would actually explain quite a bit. If we step aside of the "face" theory itself for a moment, and simply look at the mountain for what it is, the odd formations and valleys seem to coicide with the appearance of volcanoes on Earth that have erupted in the past several thousand years. Take a look at recent images that Byrd has suggested, which when viewed from separate angles, don't actually resemble a face, but more an eroded mass of irregular land and rolling hills. When viewed from this perspective, the concept of the face on Mars being a volcano is not that far-fetched after all.

a more recent image of the face (which i am currently to lazy to locate and display) shows that the "face" is most likely a mesa that experience MINOR meteor impacts.