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A geologist riddle #14

The last georiddle take us into pop-art of the past - so this week it takes us presumably in a distant future - what are some (fanta)geologic implications of the following image:

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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 3, 2011 at 7:48 PM

    Noooo! I just wrote a wonderful analysis of the landscape and the system lost it! 500 words down the drain!

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  2. Le NaturalisteMay 3, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    Maybe, it is the plutonism of Hutton that is illustrated here ?
    Mountains seems to be formed a crystallization of a magma.
    Ph

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  3. AnonymousMay 4, 2011 at 12:24 AM

    OK, let me try this again, one paragraph at a time.

    Mafic lava flows, probably pāhoehoe, with a thin crust over still glowing portions. (Watch out, little fellow!) The even, round craters look like maars, which would indicate the possibilty of ground-water, but these don't seem to be the source of the top layer (no signs of glowing in them). Mafic lavas precipitate phenocrysts, which is probably what the SCV is mining. He also seems to have excellent insulation from the heat that must still be evident underfoot.

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  4. AnonymousMay 4, 2011 at 12:25 AM

    In addition, the second layer of dark rock under the first one also shows signs of being a basaltic flow. The large dark crystal-like rocks extruding could be slowly-cooled rocks from old pipes, exposed after some sort of erosion. It's unlikely that they're bombs - the shape and positioning isn't right).

    While we're only getting a small shot here, the large views show similar rock everywhere, signs of large lava flows, and terracing. This is strangely reminiscent of what Melbourne must have looked like a million years ago with its own rifts, huge basaltic flows (to a depth of a hundred metres in places) and maars.

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  5. AnonymousMay 4, 2011 at 12:26 AM

    Again, in the large view, local fauna (small insectoid creatures) and flora (occasional brushy grass) have tried to establish themselves in this inhospitable landscape. The creatures look nasty, but they're nothing in comparison to the exotics that fly in and start trying to colonise. Zerg rush, anyone?

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  6. David BressanMay 4, 2011 at 12:39 PM

    Unfortunately blogger has sometimes this bad habit with different browsers- but I´m glad for this excellent observations - will include it in my post :)

    P.S: we can assume that the SCV is hoovering above ground thanks to the jetpack - so the temperature and weigth maybe is not a problem.

    P.P.S: BY the way - Zergs are no more....

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