E.P. Grondine wrote: First off, you did indeed say that, and you said it in the post immediately previous.

Chris writes: No I did not! I wrote: **Liquid water produces similar channels on Earth, but cryoclastic CO2 flows could also produce similar features I imagine. I don't see any features that clearly provide evidence either way.**

I also wrote earlier: **This isn't exactly how science usually goes...first you make a hypothesis with an explanation for it...i.e. "no mechanism other than clathrate reactions"...would..."explain these linear features found on Mars." Now give us the explanation...you haven't given us the how or why of it at all.** (http://www.habitablezone.com/space/messages/22757.html)

This isn't as you wrote: **Perfectly linear trenches extending for extreme lengths and depths across differing terrain here on Earth?** (http://www.habitablezone.com/space/messages/22760.html)

The only requirement for my statement to be true, is to have one or more of the properties exist in earthly features, not ALL.

E.P. Grondine wrote: Second, the reference to this particular MGS image was given, and you can answer all of your questions yourself by going to the referenced image.As you examine the image, remember that there are a number of these linear trenches on Mars, and that they also show up in the Viking images, and that they have been known about by most serious marseologists for quite some time.

Chris write: You are to lazy to bother to give us here the information necessary to reasonably evaluate your theory and make claims about more images without backing them up with at least more URLs!

E.P. Grondine wrote: Third, Mars is Mars-like, not Earth-like, dammit. Unlike the Earth, Mars does not have much of an atmosphere. Fourth, therefore, unlike the situation on Earth, any "skips" would take place close enough to the surface of Mars so that they would produce thermal effects on the surface.

Chris writes: Earth has a linear atmosphere just as Mars does and the Earth's upper atmosphere blocks most of the smaller potential impactors just as Mars' does. But, in short you don't know if the impactor would make it to the ground. Because you haven't even done the simplest back of the envelope math to see if it was possible at the angles needed . All you're doing here is handwaving as is normal with you. Did you bother to see if the Moon or some other similar well imaged body had similar impacts? Skipped? What do you think your talking about? This is rock hitting atmosphere then more rock. Not a flat surfaced rock spinning on impact with liquid water!

Typically oblique impacts have clear teardrop shapes. Very elongated, but nonetheless with a primary impact area with a trench which narrows and terminates. As I look at the feature you say is impact related all I see is the trench! If as you write it was an impactor that skipped there still should be a primary impact with secondary impacts and some of these features would have multiple "rays". Find them. Then get back to us with some evidence, dunce!

As Scott said in his humorous message number http://www.habitablezone.com/space/messages/22730.html this looks like some fault related feature.

--Chris Vancil