One mechanism that springs to mind is we're seeing the
final remnants of an eroded intrusion layer, where magma
filled a narrow crack, and then the structure was up-ended,
then eroded.
But that's a lot of ad hoc suppositions. If the intrusion
material eroded leaving only these 'teeth', there should be
fragments of it in the gap, and I don't see any.
Is there any possibility that these teeth 'grew' from the
rock edge? There are various fluid-driven depositional processes
that can create vertical structure.
How hard are these 'teeth', and how likely that they are
very very old, and then resisted wind erosion -- or could they
be geologically recent? Are there any 'broken teeth' in view?
A wonderful puzzlement. Thanks for the posting, and thank you,
Mars, and thank you, rovers!
Space/Science » in reply to Butterflies on Mars
Eroded intrusions?
