Amenthes Fossae

Scaled Image

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU

About this image

Today's VIS image shows several linear depressions that comprise of Amenthes Fossae. These features are referred to as graben and are formed by extension of the crust and faulting. When large amounts of pressure or tension are applied to rocks on timescales that are fast enough that the rock cannot respond by deforming, the rock breaks along faults. In the case of a graben, two parallel faults are formed by extension of the crust and the rock in between the faults drops downward into the space created by the extension. Several sets of graben are visible in this THEMIS image, trending from north-northeast to south-southwest. Because the faults defining the graben are formed parallel to the direction of the applied stress, we know that extensional forces were pulling the crust apart in the west-northwest/east-southeast direction. Amenthes Fossae are located on both sides of Amenthes Planum and are 850km (528 miles) long.

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

Context

Image ID: 
V86797003 (View data in Mars Image Explorer)
5.34481
98.2937
86797
2021-07-09 04:08
Mon, 2021-11-22
VIS
512 pixels (18 km)
1824 pixels (65 km)
0.035738 km/pixel
0.0360193 km/pixel

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