The face is just a natural landform. Because shadows represented human features. The face is a butte or mesa. Three pictures show that the face is just a butte or mesa and that there are no carvings or something close to it.

The face had bumps on it that created shadows to make it seem like there were human features on the mesa. The 2001 picture shows this very well you can see multiple bumps and lowered areas creating shadows. Compared to the others you would still thing aliens created it.

Three pictures accurately represent the mesa for the technology used. For 1976 it looks like a face but they could only get this as the best shot for thier time. In 1998 the picture is much more clear and you are able to see exactly what it is but with some doudt because it was cloudy that day.

The technology of 1976 was much worse then what it is now. For this specific time this picture was the best they could of shot. 1998 Was much more clear but skeptics were not happy. In 2001 they went to find a clear day that would work for finding cydonia and snapping a picture. This was clear and there werent any doudts in the picture.

Skeptics influenced the public opinion. With many skeptics giving different reasons to try and defy their research the public took thier side. This most likely happened because they want to know if there is other lifeforms. This made them want to believe that there was aliens and that this was a statue or relic of some sorts.