Mars Surface Features

High-resolution images of Martian landscapes showing channels, craters, and geological formations, depicting Mars's complex surface.

Today's VIS image shows part of an unnamed channel in Arabia Terra. Orbit Number 81023 Latitude -5.09236 Longitude 352.53 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-03-20 18 00
Today's VIS image shows part of an unnamed channel in Arabia Terra. Orbit Number 81023 Latitude -5.09236 Longitude 352.53 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-03-20 18 00
353 assets in this story
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These windstreaks are located on Syrtis Major Planum, as shown in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the eastern flank of Elysium Mons. The small channels were likely created due to the flow of lava, rather than water.
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Mars Orbiter Camera Views the Face
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Gullies
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Layered Terrain near Mawrth Valles
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Bumps and Humps
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This VIS image shows an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. The crater is relatively young, with several different structures on the floor and rim still visible. The inner rim of the crater has series of concentric benches, formed by collapse of the impacted surface into the bowl shaped interior. The crater floor is not flat, with several mounds created by rebound of melted material inside the crater. One of the more interesting features is that the crater is not round, as would be expected. The straight rims likely mean the there was a pre-existing tectonic fracture system, where the forces of the blast aligned with the fractures. Orbit Number 72453 Latitude -19.7034 Longitude 317.572 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-04-14 23 14
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Unusual Structure on Crater Rim in West Utopia Planitia
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This image of Occator Crater's southeastern wall and floor was obtained by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on June 17, 2018 from an altitude of about 22 miles (36 kilometers). The center of this picture is located at about 17.4 degrees north latitude and 243.8 degrees east longitude.
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows craters in Terra Cimmeria.
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In this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey the majority of the surface appears uniform with a few small hills, the region of fractured blocks sticks out as 'something different,' perhaps remnants of crater ejecta, or an area of a different type of rock.
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Tader Valles
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Located between the lava plains of Daedalia Planum and Solis Planum, Claritas Fossae is a graben filled highland. Graben are formed by tectonic activity, where extensional forces stretch the surface allowing blocks of material to slide down between paired faults. These linear grabens are termed fossae. This region of Mars had very active tectonism and volcanism, resulting in the huge volcanos like Arsia Mons and deep chasmata of Valles Marineris. Claritas Fossae was formed prior to the large lava flows of the Tharsis region. Orbit Number 84439 Latitude -41.4956 Longitude 272.168 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-12-26 23 43
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Ceti Mensa in Candor Chasma.
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Dust Devil Tracks
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The Avernus region contains several different surface features. These include tectonic fractures, ridges, hills, and regions of chaos within isolated depressions termed cavi. This image was captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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The sand dunes in this image are located on the floor of Herschel Crater.
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Central Peak
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The windstreaks in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located on the southwestern flank of Alba Mons.
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Context image This image shows part of the dune field near Meroe Patera. High resolution imaging by other spacecraft has revealed that the dunes in this region are moving. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows. The paterae are calderas on the volcanic complex called Syrtis Major Planum. Dunes are found in both Nili and Meroe Paterae and in the region between the two calderas. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, chan
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows an unnamed crater near Acheron Fossae. The structure of this crater includes a central pit and several concentric rims.
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The linear depressions in this VIS image were created by tectonic forces. The sides of the depression are faults. Paired faults will allow the block of material between them to slide down during marsquake events, forming the depressions. Orbit Number 77132 Latitude 30.5611 Longitude 285.586 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-05-05 08 37
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This image shows a small section of Nili Fossae. The darker blue tones are usually indications of basaltic sands. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Orbit Number 60318 Latitude 24.7981 Longitude 80.7408 Instrument VIS Captured 2015-07-20 08 53
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This image from NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows an escarpment located in asteroid Vesta's near Rheasilvia quadrangle, near Vesta's south pole.
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Eroded Surfaces
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The ancient sinuous river channel shown in this image by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft was likely carved by water early in Mars history. Auqakuh Valles cuts through a remarkable series of rock layers that were deposited and then subsequently eroded.
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The depression in the center of this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is a graben (fault bounded block of material). This graben is called Mangala Fossa.
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the inner rim of an unnamed crater on the western margin of Daedalia Planum.
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Abedin in Color
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the rim and ejecta of an unnamed crater in Xanthe Terra.
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The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the plains of Terra Sirenum.
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the plains of Noachis Terra north of the Argyre basin.
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Buvinda Vallis, located just outside the northeastern flank of Hecates Tholus.
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This unnamed channel is located east of Baetis Chaos as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the rim and floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.
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Volcano Near Pavonis Mons
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These rough surfaced lava flows originated at Arsia Mons
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This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows an unnamed channel on the margin between the higher elevations of Terra Cimmeria and the lower elevations of Elysium Planitia.
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Windstreaks, like the ones in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, are a common feature on the plains of Syrtis Major Planum.
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the region near Nili Fossae.
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This VIS image shows part of northern Terra Sabaea. Blue tones in false color images usually indicate basaltic sand. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Orbit Number 61910 Latitude 37.5082 Longitude 57.7093 Instrument VIS Captured 2015-11-28 10 37
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The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the plains of Margaritifer Terra.
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Cerberus Fossae
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Scarp and Channels in a Crater in Terra Cimmeria
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Ariadnes Colles. The term colles means hills or knobs. In this false color combination the hills stand out against the darker surrounding plains. This difference is due to the amount of dust covering the hills versus the plains. Orbit Number 66840 Latitude -33.9962 Longitude 171.816 Instrument VIS Captured 2017-01-07 11 47
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Windstreaks
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Today's VIS image shows a section of Cerberus Fossae. Located southeast of the Elysium Planitia volcanic complex, the linear graben near the top of the image was created by tectonic forces related to the volcanic activity. The graben are sources of both channels and significant volcanic flows. Cerberus Fossae cuts across features such as hills, indicating the relative youth of the tectonic activity. Graben form where extensional tectonic forces allows blocks of material to subside between paired faults. Orbit Number 89952 Latitude 10.0355 Longitude 157.294 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-03-25 22 57
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Sweeping the Dust Away
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a portion of the plains in Terra Sabaea.
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Hebrus Valles
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These images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft are located in asteroid Vesta's Urbinia quadrangle, in Vesta's southern hemisphere.
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In the Shadows