Jezero Crater Delta

On the left side of today's VIS image is the Jezero Crater delta deposit. This feature was created by the flow from the rim channel into the crater. Deltas form when sediments settle out due to a decrease in speed of a river system. Deltas often form where large rivers flow into the ocean, like the Mississippi and Nile deltas. This can also occur where rivers flow into large lakes, such as the Great Salt Lake and Lake St. Clair river deltas. It is believed that the Jezero Crater delta formed this way. Jezero Crater is the home of the Mars 2020 rover - Perseverance - and its little helicopter buddy - Ingenuity. The Mars 2020 mission is focused on the delta, and the information it holds about a time when Mars was much wetter.