The Mystery of Spherules on Stems

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity located many spherules that were on thin stalks or stems. The spherules appear to be formed inside sedimentary deposits and are thought by many to be hematite concretions or nodules. These spherules are expected to be inert but their appearance shows that some process is creating these stalks. It is our contention that the formation of the stalks has little to do with the spherules themselves, but instead is the result of an erosive process driven by the Martian environment. We will demonstrate that the stalks have a simple origin that relies only on the intrinsic hardness of the spherules versus the less durable sedimentary substrate. These findings will indicate a set of conditions on Mars that must be present, and clear evidence will be shown to support this conclusion.