THEMIS Vistas

SPECTACULAR SCENERY lies everywhere in Melas Chasma, part of the great Valles Marineris rift. But scientists' attention is focusing mostly on the low hills scattered across the valley floor, left center. These have layered deposits that include sediments formed underwater, and they might preserve traces of an early Martian biosphere, if any such existed. This view (which has a vertical exaggeration of about 2x) looks across Melas toward the northwest. (A 690 kB version of the image is available.) Credit: NASA/JPL/Arizona State University, R. Luk.

To explore this area further, check out the THEMIS feature article.