Surface Composition Differences in Martian Canyon

Color differences in this daytime infrared image taken by THEMIS on NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft represent differences in the mineral composition of the rocks, sediments and dust on the surface. The image shows a portion of a canyon named Candor Chasma within the great Valles Marineris system of canyons, at approximately 5 degrees south latitude, 285 degrees east (75 degrees west) longitude. The area shown is approximately 30 by 175 kilometers (19 by 110 miles). The image combines exposures taken by THEMIS at three different wavelengths of infrared light: 6.3 microns, 7.4 microns and 8.7 microns.