The Surveyor I photographs strongly suggest that the surface near the landing site consists of dust; that is, fine-grained, moderately cohesive rock powder. The similarities between both the appearances and the physical properties of the Luna IX and Surveyor I areas suggest that the Luna IX site also is similar material. These deductions are consistent with information provided by radar, radiothermal, infrared, and optical investigations of the Moon, which indicate that the lunar surface is almost everywhere covered with a porous material to a depth of at least several meters. The near-universal distribution of this material strongly implies that it is externally generated. The visible scattering and polarimetric evidence indicate that it is largely fine rock powder, and there is no evidence for a change in properties (such as a hard rock overlain by dust) at any depth less than several meters. Craters have been generated in the laboratory in fine powders by both impacts and explosions. The resulting morphology bears a strong resemblance to that seen in the lunar probe pictures. Features seen on both the laboratory and lunar surfaces include: rimmed craters, rimless craters, piles of gravel-like rubble, “porous rocks,” steep slopes, and linear features. It is concluded that the landscapes shown in the Surveyor I and Luna IX pictures are largely dust of undetermined depth.