Sanders:  "Good afternoon, Ms. Ivers.  Can you tell us a few things about the geology of the caverns?  I think there's quite an interest in that topic here on Novia, since so few of us ever go to Mare." Ivers:  “Sure.  I’d b-b-be glad to t-t-tell you some things.  First, you have to know the Laramax caverns are quite an anomaly.  In fact, all the caverns on M-m-m-mare are.  Really, they shouldn’t exist.  I know that's k-k-kinda strange hearing that from a scientist, but it’s true." Sanders:  "What does that mean?" Ivers:  "It means there still isn’t a good mechanism known for how the caverns c-c-came to be, how they originated.  After years of intensive study too.  Since there’s never been any life on Mare, there shouldn’t be any caverns either.  That’s the way I-I-I see it.  Not just me, but almost every researcher who’s ever studied Mare." Sanders:  "Ms. Ivers, we're not quite sure what you mean by all that.  Are you saying we don't know anything about the caverns even though we've studied them for years?" Ivers:  "I’m sorry.  That's not really what I meant.  We know quite a bit about the caverns.  Let me go into a little m-m-more detail with what I just talked about.  There are plenty of limestones on Mare, rocks made chiefly of calcium carbonate, but there’s n-n-no clear mechanism for how the caverns f-f-formed within those limestones.  You have to dissolve the limestones with acidic solutions, eat away at the r-r-rock, a little at a time.  But you need a way to create the acidic solutions before you can do that.  On Earth and Novia, acidic solutions are the result of the varied biota.  Mare doesn’t have any life, so the mechanism for creating acidic solutions is still unclear, despite a number of isotopic studies pointing in various directions, some of which don’t make sense with what w-w-we know about the geologic history of the planet." Winsonio:  "And all that means . . ." Ivers:  "Well, even though we don't know how the acids came to be, the caves do exist – so they had to form somehow.  We just need to dig d-d-d-deeper to find out how.  Just for the record, I w-w-work with Ceti Exploration, and I’m one of their top sedimentologists.  I have a great track record with Ceti - that’s why Explora contracted me for this mission.  Oh, Isis is waving for me to come into the ship.  That’s my buddy; she works with Ceti too – she’s a great biochemist.  Got to go.  See you when we g-g-get back.  Maybe then we’ll have the answers . . .”