http://astroenginecom.disqus.com/NoneenTue, 29 Jul 2008 15:58:29 -0000http://www.astroengine.com/2008/07/rolling-rock-or-walking-martian/#comment-9463354<p>Plus, in that first picture, the size of the "footprints", that walking alien would have huge feet!</p>MikTue, 29 Jul 2008 15:58:29 -0000http://www.astroengine.com/2008/07/rolling-rock-or-walking-martian/#comment-9463353<p>Looks a bit like a dust devil to me... But, what do I know. Plenty of explanation other than something walking about. Now, if it were to suddenly veer in a completely adjacent directino or start going back up the hill, one might be able to better argue for something not just following a "path of least resistance" (I'd still be more inclined to go with "dust devil" than mythical beast, though).</p><p>Could a dust devil make those intermittent pits, though? A good question. Unclear. However! There is evidence, and plenty of it, that dust devils have an inherently electrical nature (google "mars electric dust devils") and you'll probably come up with a few NASA releases and other stuff. Granted they still utilize ye olde "triboelectrics" to attempt to "explain" the electric fields present in the dust devils.</p><p>If, the dust devils were actually part of a current exchange (see Bernard Vonnegut's work on vortex stabilization of a high voltage discharge; available from <a href="http://adbsabs.harvard.edu" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="adbsabs.harvard.edu">adbsabs.harvard.edu</a>), might it not be possible that a dust devil could actually machine the surface sediments electrically?</p><p><a href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1960JAtS...17..468V" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1960JAtS...17..468V">http://adsabs.harvard.edu/a...</a></p><p>I'd point to several videos showing electrodynamic cratering made by a colleague in a garage science / hobby lab.</p><p><a href="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WB_EKVWgbj8" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WB_EKVWgbj8">http://uk.youtube.com/watch...</a><br><a href="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3rqQnUCiWQo" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3rqQnUCiWQo">http://uk.youtube.com/watch...</a><br><a href="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7dbs5QAMOqc" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7dbs5QAMOqc">http://uk.youtube.com/watch...</a></p><p>Likewise the research done by Rutgers with respect to charged sand grains, etc. Strangely enough they tended to form craters in the sand flow.</p><p><a href="http://sol.rutgers.edu/~lamarc/Razorbacks/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="http://sol.rutgers.edu/~lamarc/Razorbacks/">http://sol.rutgers.edu/~lam...</a></p><p>So, there's a few ways to make a crater chain. Granted, a rock rolling down a hill is probably another. :) Also likely the best option in this scenario. But, I think there are other interesting processes going on @ Mars that aren't quite so easily explained...</p><p>Regards,<br>~Michael</p>Michael GmirkinSun, 27 Jul 2008 17:51:42 -0000