Claritas Fossae

Located between the lava plains of Daedalia Planum and Solis Planum, Claritas Fossae is a graben-filled highland. Graben are formed by tectonic activity. In this region of Mars extensive and long lived volcanic and tectonic activity created the largest volcanoes and the longest canyon system on Mars. Volcanic and tectonic forces coexist and tectonic faults are often utilized by subsurface magma to reach the surface. Claritas Fossae was formed prior to the large lava flows of the Tharsis region.