Mars Geological Features

This cluster features various geological formations on Mars, including collapse pits, mantles, flows, and fractures, showcasing the planet's varied surface textures.

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Today's VIS image shows part of Arabia Terra. The different tones in the image indicate there is a difference between the dark and light surfaces. It could be due to differences in dust cover, or actual different layers of materials. Orbit Number 87213 Latitude 18.2372 Longitude 335.439 Instrument VIS Captured 2021-08-12 10 16

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$The fractures in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Claritas Fossae. Note the small, bright dunes in the deep furrow on the bottom left of the image.$

$Ius Chasma Landslides. Today's VIS image shows part of Ius Chasma. Ius Chasma is at the western end of Valles Marineris. Valles Marineris is over 4000 kilometers long, wider than the United States. Ius Chasma is almost 850 kilometers long (528 miles), 120 kilometers wide and over 8 kilometers deep. In comparison, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is about 175 kilometers long, 30 kilometers wide, and only 2 kilometers deep. The canyons of Valles Marineris were formed by extensive fracturing and pulling apart of the crust during the uplift of the vast Tharsis plateau. Landslides have enlarged the canyon walls and created deposits on the canyon floor. Weathering of the surface and influx of dust and sand have modified the canyon floor, both creating and modifying layered materials. There are many features that indicate flowing and standing water played a part in the chasma formation. The rugged floor of Ius Chasma in this image is the result of many large landslides. Orbit Number 92987 Latitude$

$Angustus Labyrinthus is a unique region near the south polar cap. The squares formed by intersecting ridges have given the feature the informal name of Inca City. The linear ridges are believed to have formed by volcanic and tectonic forces, where magma filled fractures in the subsurface and then erosion revealed the magmatic material. Orbit Number 76102 Latitude -81.5722 Longitude 295.757 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-02-09 12 13$

$Extensional forces in the volcanic province of Tharsis, shown in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, have produced a fractured terrain that resembles wrinkled skin.$

$Angustus Labyrinthus is a unique region near the south polar cap. The squares formed by intersecting ridges earned the feature the informal name of the Inca City when it was discovered in Mariner 9 images in 1972. The linear ridges are believed to have formed by volcanic and tectonic forces, where magma filled fractures in the subsurface and then erosion revealed the magmatic material. Orbit Number 84158 Latitude -81.3484 Longitude 296.938 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-12-03 20 45$

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Some of the youngest volcanic flows on Mars are from Arsia Mons. This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey of Daedalia Planum shows some of these flows.

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$Located to the northeast of Olympus Mons, Cyane Sulci is a complexly fractured region of material inundated on its margins by volcanic flows. This image was captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey on Oct. 24, 2010.$