Moqui marbles and Martian Blueberries

Photographer: Bret Webster; Bret’s Web site; Bret’s Facebook page
Summary Author: Bret Webster

The photo above shows Moqui Marbles in their native habitat of southern Utah. These curious rocks are actuallyconcretions having iron (hematite) rinds. Very similar rocks, called blueberries, have been observed repeatedly on Mars by the rovers. Some scientific papers implicate the possibility of life on Mars playing a role in their formation while others do not. Discussions about the pros and cons of their formation have been quite lively at times. However, the consensus seems to be that both the marbles and the blueberries were created beneath the surface as naturally occurring substances, most likely minerals, precipitated from flowing groundwater. Pictured with the marbles is a Devil’s-Claw cactus (Sclerocactus parviflorus).