Tharsis Grooved Channel (Released 29 August 2002)

The Tharsis Montes region on Mars is a major center of volcanic and tectonic activity. The channel in this image is west of the relatively small volcano called Biblis Patera although it shows no obvious relationship to that volcano. Instead, it may be related to the more distant, but more massive volcano Olympus Mons to the north. The channel may have hosted flowing lava at one time but now contains a material that has eroded into an impressive ridge-and-groove pattern. These features may be yardangs, landforms produced from the erosion by wind of sedimentary material.