Clear difference in the color of the terrain, the darker surface looks like what Opportunity is on now, and the lighter could be where the ancient shoreline existed!

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Yes, I agree.

That 'close up' is of a Themis/MOLA image I found here: http://themis.asu.edu/pr.html I almost drool everytime I see it.

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Do we know a scale of miles on that second pic?

* Sorry, but, I can't find where it was originally posted. I'll keep hunting though!

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It could well have been a small sea or a very large salt water lake!

* Yes! Ok, I'll say that it may have been a small sea. ;)

For more information about Meridiani, Alex gave us a good link to this paper a while back (where is he?!). It may have to be revised now:

http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/hynek_hematite.pdf

However, I think they got this part right: [Primary Formation Mechanisms of Hematite. Formation of a lake or sea environment has emerged as one of the leading hypothesis for the TM (Terra Meridiani), Aram Chaos, and Valles Marineris hematite exposures (Christensen, et al, 2000, 2001) advocated this mecanism based on geologic and topographic evidence.]

Fig. 3 on page 4 is very good and from looking at that ellipse, we landed very close if not right in it! On Fig. 5, I think it shows not only where we landed, but also that 'supposed' shoreline as well. It is actually to the *Northwest* of where we landed. Figure 8-B on page 14 has a close up of that partially exhumed crater (they used the words "cementation from subsurface fluids" as the cause for it's sedimentation/formation). :D That crater always reminds me of the Richat structure on Earth. Most of the figures and images in that pdf may help give you an idea of scale, miles/kms.

Thanks, Buck.