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Atomoid, please forgive my sloppy terminology (cave) -- You and Rxke figured it out right.  I was specifically refering to the largest (closest to NASA's "Lookout Point) of three, or more, of the dark spots in the coliumbia hills immediately east and southeast of Spirit's location.

I am not a geologist but I had "imagined" these to be "caves" -- possibly puntched by a group of meteorite fragments, at a low impact angle,  long ago and also possibly serving as "springs" sourced by some kind of water seepage from the hills.

Regarding my speculation on the "Styrofoam looking" material in Oppie's latest grinding holes on the other side of Mars, the newly revealed shinney "ball" that I cited above makes it look (to me) like a soft "concrete like" material with a soft but strongly adhesive matrix material and hard small "Aggrigate" balls.  This would explain  the inability to hold the balls for grinding in place (or even cleaning except for the one seen) and the resultant breaking out in chunks bounded by weak areas of lower "Aggrigate" density.  Once I saw one well defined ball, I saw (or imagined) them everywhere (same size) embeded in the remaining matrix.  The pulverized grindings outside the holes also appear to reveal the same balls, in the powder, but still thinly coated with the matrix material. Remember also that in one of the earlier shallow grindings, the matrix was able to hold one of the larger "Hematite" spherules for grinding near the surface.

You asked:  "Could I push my finger in it".  Probably not.  It appears to have decent compression strength (supports Opie's weight pretty well) but quite low tensile strength (lots of cracks in situ and the slabs powder where Oppie's wheels spin, slip or roll over the edge of cracks inducing shear and tensile loads.

All of this is, of course, just a lot of uneducated speculation.  Even so, NASA has been very quiet on the subject and I sure would like to hear some educated speculation.  What happened to all of the great NASA news conferences on NASA TV?!!

Greg

Looks like Oppie has turned downhill from a traverse and is now again headed deeper.  Last in most recent foward Hazcam images:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opport … ...0M1.JPG

Greg

Strange material -- looks like a polishing exercise on styrofoam:?:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opport … ...2M1.JPG

Any geologist's opinions?

Greg

First glimpse over the top by Spirit:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit … ...0M1.JPG

This shot is part of a nice series -- would be nice to see them joined.  Also, lots of neat outcrops -- perhaps Spirit will get her share of center stage time.

Greg

Spirit is almost on top of the hill--Look down:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit … ...0M1.JPG

Nice view?  Wait til we see the other side!

Greg

Are my untrained eyes failing me??  What, from a distance, in the hills appeared to be solid layer outcropings; now, upclose, appear more to be cobbled layers of ejecta. 

Greg

Spirit slide down a bank here?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit … ...0M1.JPG

Greg

Oppie successfully in and out twice on the 9th.  See 6/9/04 fwd hazcam series at Exploritorium:

1st in looking down: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opport … ...0M1.JPG

last backout looking at tracks:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opport … ...0M1.JPG

still have not figured how to post links.

Greg

I agree they'll probably only do only a "toe in the door" on the first entry if they can get back out.  I think the whole reverse of the crater circumnavigation and quick entry decision was based on the the perceived imperative to get to one of the internal underlying outcrops before the MINI-TES fails due to deep sleep cold.  Then, if they are back out, they will likely resume the origional exploration plan and return to the crater interier after a good look-around outside.

I am a newbie in this forum (a 60+ y/o "kid") and was a little surprised (rankled) by "Super Administrator" Adrian's sharp response (flame) to a new visitor's query (of whatever age or motivation).  If one doesn't consider a post worthy of a response, why give one?  I was, likewise, encouraged by Luca's and Stuart's pertinent comments.

I have already learned a lot by simply reading the posts here -- RobS, thanks for the link, this was all new info for me.

Greg

Anyone interested in the "shell-like" objects imaged by Spirit Pancam on Sol 104??  [http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … 86L2M1.JPG]

These look alot like the "mystery object" seen on the backside of Route66.  How can these thin surfaced hollow objects be formed??