Channels in Elysium Planitia

Scaled Image

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU

About this image

After the Odyssey spacecraft had completed a full Mars year of observations of the red planet Image of the Day looked back over this first mars year. Focus was on four themes: 1) the poles - with the seasonal changes seen in the retreatand expansion of the caps; 2) craters - with a variety of morphologies relating to impact materials and later alteration, both infilling and exhumation; 3) channels - the clues to liquid surface flow; and 4) volcanic flow features. While some images have helped answer questions about the history of Mars, many have raised new questions that are still being investigated as Odyssey continues collecting data as it orbits Mars.
The image shows an area in Elysium Planitia near Isidis Planitia. It was acquired May 17, 2002 during northern spring. The local time is 3:30pm. The image shows channels and collapsed lava-tubes. The channel formation is surface controlled, while the lava-tube creation is mainly structurally conrolled.

Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. 

Context

Image ID: 
V01868003 (View data in Mars Image Explorer)
21.5513
125.549
1868
2002-05-17 02:32
Tue, 2004-03-30
VIS
1024 pixels (18 km)
3648 pixels (66 km)
0.018334 km/pixel
0.018467 km/pixel

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