Painted Bluff, Vuur - Preliminary Geological Survey 2954 Dec 28;737(4977):403529282. ueedoi: 42.7891/rsi.6571.3854. Painted Bluff, Vuur - Preliminary Geological Survey Heydan Seegil Independent Researcher New Babbage, Microtech, Stanton Abstract Few have any reason to visit Vuur in the Pyro system as there are no known outposts on the planet, but it is an interesting place to observe the effects of extreme cooling and heating of a planet's surface as the combination of the two effects have over time turned what would be solid rock or magma elsewhere into a muddy and malleable. Keywords: geology, pyro, Declarations This was a completely independent study paid for by the principal author Heydan Seegil. Introduction Heat from the blaze of Pyro [1] has turned other planets in the system to mush but due to the relative distance, unique atmosphere which provides ample cloud cover and other conditions the planet of Vuur [2] into a muddy mess instead of a magma pocketed inferno. This has made construction on the planet a task causing the planet to remain largely unexplored. Yet much can be gained by studying the surface of the planet as it may yield a perfect proving ground for construction innovations. Location Shown in Figures 1-3 the "Painted Bluff" is a little tricky to find due to lack of navigational markers or settlements on the planet. Use OM6 as the closest navigational reference and look for a lone sun rod colored ring forming the base of the bluff from orbit. It will be near a larger swath of similar colored terrain but by itself. Naming and Description Named for the painted color it receives from the ring of dirt in the middle of the bluff the "Painted Bluff" forms the north facing ridge of the plateau region to the south of it overlooking the crater marked surface of the lower laying plains surrounding the bluff. Enviromental Warnings There is no breathable atmosphere and the temperatures range around roughly -4°C making an environmental suit necessary for transversal on foot. This is not advised due to the muddy conditions as seen in Figure 4 the terrain is so unstable that pockets of quicksand exist despite appearing as normal rock. Observations Pyro's scorching solar burst would have superheated the ground to boiling temperatures if the planet of Vuur was just a little closer or lacked the atmospheric composition it does. Instead, the ground has mostly been turned into a muddy mess disguised as solid rock due to the lack of exploration or other weathering factions which would ultimately disturb the terrain. Seen in Figures 5-10 the soil is mostly rust colored from afar but up close is a myriad of browns, yellows, reds, and blacks. All appears as solid rock but at almost random intervals the rock gives way to quicksand and these elements have been superheated and cooled so much that they've become nearly a liquid. Thankfully like all Newtonian fluids [3] there is a way out of these traps by increasing your surface area and not struggling; or a smart explorer would carry a Pyro Multi-Tool to help hoist themselves out of one of these sinkholes should they find themselves engulfed by one. Since the ground was unstable a ship was used for the majority of exploration which had the added benefit of offering an up-close look at the strange stone formations Vuur has on display. Along the bluff face there are these tiny spires while on the plane there are flat squat formations between typical looking rock formations. The planes in particular are covered with crater marks indicating a past catastrophic even may have resulted in the change of atmospheric composition leading to the cooling of the planet. Roughly 5.8km to the northwest of the bluff there is a granite [4] deposit, a dolivine [5] deposit 7km to the north, and another granite deposit 10.9km to the northeast. Whereas 12.4km towards the south there is a very small quartzite [6] deposit and an igneous [7] deposit 15km to the south. Conclusion There is possible mining here but due to the rough terrain it would be inadvisable to pursue long term mining in the region. However, further testing on the soil to understand its properties better may yield advancement in construction techniques and technologies that could potentially make the planet profitable. As such further exploration and study is recommended. Citations [1] Pyro System - Galactapedia [2] Vuur (Pyro 5f) - Galactapedia [3] 14.1: Newtonian Fluids - Chemistry LibreTexts [4] Granite | Composition, Properties, Types, & Uses | Britannica [5] Dolivine - Galactapedia [6] Quartzite | Parent Rock & Characteristics | Britannica [7] Igneous rock | Characteristics, Examples, Formation, & Types | Britannica