Morava Valles Chaos

Today's VIS image shows a region of chaos within the Morava Valles channel. Located in Margaritifer Terra, Morava Valles is one of several channels that empty northward towards Chryse Planitia. Morava Valles arises from a region of chaos. Chaos terrain is also found along the course of the channel and may occur where the channel flow fluid warmed the subsurface ice creating additional release points for melted subsurface ice. Chaos terrain is typified by regions of blocky, often steep sided, mesas interspersed with deep valleys. With time and erosion the valleys widen and the mesas become smaller. It has been proposed that a catastrophic outflow of subsurface water creates the chaos and provides the surface flow creating the channel. Morava Valles is 364km long (226 miles).