Scientists Baffled by 'Bootprint' on Mars

I don't know if anyone posted this yet, I searched and didn't find anything so forgive me if it has been posted. Didn't think it was any type of conspiracy, unless a giant boot shaped city/ship was once here on mars... Just thought this was interesting.

New images of an ancient crater on Mars look just like a bootprint -- and the high res pics have failed to solve the age-old mystery for planetary scientists.

If anything, the high-resolution images of the "Footprint Crater" -- otherwise known as Orcus Patera -- have puzzled Mars-watchers even further as to how the Red Planet was originally scarred with the 240-mile-long depression.

The picture was taken by the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter and released by the ESA late last week.

It sits between two volcanoes
, and while the name "patera" is traditionally given to irregularly shaped volcanic craters, scientists know at least enough about the Orcus Patera to know it wasn't formed by a volcano.

The most likely explanation is that it's an impact crater, although given the length of the scar, it would have to have been formed by something striking the surface of Mars at an angle of less than five degrees, possibly bouncing back off the surface.

The floor
of the crater dives down to 2,000 feet below surface level, while the ridges rise up to 1.1 miles above the surrounding plains.

Another theory is that Orcus Patera originally started out as a massive circular crater, but was squashed into its elliptical form by compressional forces acting on the planet's surface.

And yet another states that it may actually be two craters that have been joined by erosion, except that the ridges on either side of the crater suggest otherwise.

What the new images show are the existence of "graben," massive valleys crossing the crater
in an east-west direction, some up to a mile and a half wide.

Smaller graben can be seen in the crater itself. Scientists believe that these could have been formed by compression in the opposite direction to that which may have stretched the crater.

Unfortunately, graben and wrinkle
ridges can be found all over the planet, which means they hold no clue for scientists trying to discover the story behind the unique formation.

All that means is the "bootprint on Mars" will continue to remain a mystery for scientists, albeit one that they can now ponder over in hi-res detail, courtesy of the ESA.
External Link

[edit on 9/3/2010 by PennKen2009]

When I first saw this thread I thought it would be a actual Bootprint,then I thought naa,NASA wouldnt ever release or talk about that image. Hidden away for ever.

But the crater is amazing looking!
Who knows how it got there!

Originally posted by gpena
When I first saw this thread I thought it would be a actual Bootprint,then I thought naa,NASA wouldnt ever release or talk about that image. Hidden away for ever.

But the crater is amazing looking!
Who knows how it got there!

That image? You know of an image on mars of an actual boot print? I'd love to see it.

Very interesting. I do like the reasons given about it's possible formation.

I am thinking more of a hit,,,roll... at the less than 5% angle and then back into space-Whatever did it.

I think Mars will be a place full of interesting things-when we get there. I will probably be dead by then-before the full extent of what is there is learned.

Good post/find!

So there was giants on Mars before the came to earth I take it?

Very cool picture, thanks for sharing.

Yup Observer1 posted this on the 30th of August.

Scientist are baffled about elongated formed crater on mars!

It's in the same forum you put yours in.


cool pic though. I always enjoy posts on Mars.

lol me to Boot print on mars lolol.
well there was just a thread on this the other day but my yours got me so much better lol.
Boot print lolol

This was on "coast to coast" web site

meh

reply to post by PennKen2009


I'm a firm believer in using a sensational title to draw attention to a thread. I do it all the time. And from someone who knows...yours was excellant!

I don't think its that baffling really , looks like a Caldera Volcano to me .
Here's a similar one on Earth , from mount kilauea .

I know nothing of such things and i am most definateley wrong but it looks like it could have been some sort of dried up lake

Although I agree that a low angle "bounce off" type impact could have done something like this, wouldn't one end or the other of the crater have less of a head-wall?

What about a string of smaller impacts very close together? Like when Hale-Bopp hit Jupiter in a string of fragments? Just a thought...

Is this the same crater?

Most likely caused by an asteroid coming in at a very small angle, I think that was one of the 'official' explanations.

I was thinking maybe the face on mars might have tripped and got himself buried from the neck down after leaving a bootprint

Originally posted by gpena
When I first saw this thread I thought it would be a actual Bootprint,then I thought naa,NASA wouldnt ever release or talk about that image. Hidden away for ever.

But the crater is amazing looking!
Who knows how it got there!

lmao. Thought the same as well.

Interesting nonetheless.