Cerberus Fossae Fractures

The fractured surface of the Cerberus region southeast of the Elysium volcanoes provides an impressive example of the powerful tectonic forces that have shaped the region. Both the smooth lava plains and the mountains that poke through the lava were subjected to extensional forces which ripped open the landscape. The fractures are radial to the Elysium complex, suggesting a relationship between the extensional features and volcanic processes.