The Landform that Looks like a Face

On Earth, there are many landforms that might look like a person or a thing. On Mars, there is a landform that looks like a face. This Face has had several photos of it taken by Viking 1 in 1976, a Mars Global surveyor (MGS) in 1998, and another (MGS) in 2001. The Face looks like a face because of its characteristics. Although it looks like an enourmous head, it is really just a mesa or butte, a landform, that happens to look like a face.

One reason that this landform is not a face is because NASA revealed a close up picture of the face, revealing only a landform. That picture had a caption that stated, "huge rock formation... which resembles a human head... formed by shadows giving the illusion of eyes, nose, and mouth." Before, there were pictures that weren't as high resolution, so it looked like a face but is now proven to be just a landform. This shows that the landform that looks like a face, is just a landform since there is a photo that shows what the "face" actually is. This means the face is just a mesa or butte.

Another reason why this Face is just a natural landform, is because this landform is in Cydonia where mesas are common. The text states, "Scientists figured it was just another Martian mesa, common enough around Cydonia, only this one had unusual shadows that made it look like an egyptian pharoah." This shows that mesas in Cydonia are common. Also, the mesa just had unusual shadows that gave it the appearence of a face. This means that this face was just a landform.

Another reason, is that some landforms, like on Earth look like something other than a landform. The text states, "'It reminds me most of Middle Butte in the Snake River Plain of Idaho.', says Garvin." This shows that some landforms can represent or look different from what it really is. This would be the Face oon Mars that is a landform. This wouldn't be a face.

Though some people, like cospiracy theorists, may say that NASA wants to hide a type of evidence for life on Mars, they are wrong. The text states,"Some people think the Face is bona fide evidence for life on Mars- evidence that NASA would rather hide, say cospiracy theorists." The text also states, "Meanwhile, defenders of the NASA budget wish there was an ancient civilization on Mars." NASA responds to conspiracy theorist in this way, because if NASA were to be responsible for discovering life on Mars, they would benefit. This shows that though NASA would like to be responsible fo discovering life on Mars, NASA just wanted to prove that this Face is just a natural landform.

Overall, there are several reasons why this Face is just a natural landform. One of them is that NASA took a picture of the Face, revealing just a landform. Another reason, is that mesas are common in Cydonia, the area where the Face was found. Another reason, is that thhis landfprm like others can look different from what it really is. In conclusion, the Face on Mars is just a landform.