Mars Geological Features

High-resolution images from Mars showcasing diverse geological formations and textures, offering insights into the planet's surface and history.

Ares Vallis Cataract

Today's VIS image is shows a small portion of Tempe Fossae. The linear features are tectonic graben. Graben 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. Numerous sets of graben are visible in this THEMIS image, trending from north-northeast to south-southwest. Because the faults defining the graben are formed perpendicular to the direction of the applied stress, we know that extensional forces were pulling the crust apart in the west-northwest/east-southeast direction. The complete fossae system is almost 2000 km (1242 miles) long. Orbit Number 94733 Latitude 38.0943 Longitude 280.561 Instrument VIS Captured 2023-04-23 15 38

Gullies in Wirtz Crater

The linear channel in the bottom half of this VIS image is part of Olympica Fossae. Olympica Fossae is a complex channel form located on the Tharsis plains between Alba Mons and Olympus Mons. It was most likely created by volcanic flows, but was probably also affected by the formation of graben in the region. Graben are formed by the down-drop of material between paired faults. The collapse of the Alba Mons volcano resulted in a huge region of graben. Orbit Number 71495 Latitude 22.7947 Longitude 242.683 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-01-26 01 24

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the western end of Candor Chasma, including a large landslide deposit.

This VIS image is located in Sirenum Fossae near Daedalia Planum. The arc at the bottom of the image is the rim of a crater that was dissected when the tectonic event created the linear faults and down dropped blocks of highland material visible in this image. The linear breaks near the top of the cliff sides indicates surface layered materials. Orbit Number 74527 Latitude -25.7241 Longitude 220.258 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-10-02 19 27

Cerberus, seen in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, is a dark region on Mars that has shrunk down from a continuous length of about 1000 km to roughly three discontinuous spots a few 100 kms in length in less than 20 years.

Lava Flows near Pavonis Mons

The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in many ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the sand sheet with surface dune forms on Proctor Crater.

Wind Streaks

Landslide

This VIS image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows streamlined islands are located in the channel of Mangala Valles, a portion of which is shown in the image.

MGS MOC Returns to Service Following Solar Conjunction Hiatus

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the large sand sheet with surface dune forms on the floor of Charlier Crater in Terra Sirenum.

The interesting flow texture in this image indicates a volcanic vent at this location at the base of Arsia Mons

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small field of dunes and associated dust devil tracks located on the floor of this unnamed crater on the rim of Roddenberry Crater.

Dark Slope Streaks

Cerberus Fossae

Proposed MSL Site in West Candor

This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the scarp face of the north polar cap near Abalos Mensa. The top part of the image is the polar cap. This image was collected during northern hemisphere summer.

These lava flows in Elysium Planitia captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey are called platy flows. The surface of the lava flow cooled and solidified, while liquid lava beneath kept flowing.

The lava channels in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located on the southern flank of Ascraeus Mons.

Today's image shows the southwestern flank of Ascraeus Mons. Ascraeus is the northenmost of the three aligned Tharsis volcanoes and is the tallest at 18,225meters (59,793ft). Orbit Number 82112 Latitude 9.73717 Longitude 253.773 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-06-18 10 06

Dust-Mantled Olympus Mons Flows

This image of the south polar cap captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows many different surface textures as well as layering.

Hebes Chasma

$The fractured surface shown in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft belongs to a portion of a region called Gorgonum Chaos located in the southern hemisphere of Mars.$

Many craters around the south polar cap contain dune fields on their floors. This is one example of such a crater. This image was taken with the 2001 Mars Odyssey THEMIS infrared camera and shows the warm daytime temperature of the dunes.

Mars Global Surveyor MOC Celebrates 2 Years in Orbit!

Sand dunes on the floor of Rabe Crater are brighter in this infrared image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft than the surrounding materials. This is because the sand is warmer than the surrounding rock.

The unusual texture seen in this image of Galle Crater is likely layered deposits that have been eroded. Small dune and windstreak features in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, indicate that winds are part of the erosive process.

Cerulli Crater. Today's VIS image shows the western side of Cerulli Crater. Located in northern Arabia Terra, Cerulli Crater is 114 km (71 miles) in diameter. Mamers Valles originates near Cerulli Crater. Orbit Number 93800 Latitude 32.2906 Longitude 21.257 Instrument VIS Captured 2023-02-05 19 18 https //photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25880

Today's VIS image crosses part of the flank of Tyrrhenus Mons. Tyrrhenus Mons is one of the oldest martian volcanoes. Unlike most of the other Martian volcanoes, it is made of layers that include softer volcanic ash rather than just basaltic flows. This difference is evident in how the volcano is being eroded, creating broad intersecting sinuous channels. On Earth basaltic flows form broad shield volcanoes like Hawaii. Shield volcanoes can erupt from the central crater, as well as along the flanks. Volcanoes with ash layers, called composite volcanoes, form steeper sides like Mt Rainier and Mt Fuji, with material erupting only from the central caldera. Tyrrhenus Mons more closely resembles composite volcanoes. Orbit Number 88182 Latitude -20.6084 Longitude 105.788 Instrument VIS Captured 2021-10-31 04 55

Martian Mystery: Do Some Materials Flow Uphill

Slope Failure

Gale Sedimentary Rocks

Arsia Mons Caldera Rim

This MOC image shows dried streambeds -- martian gullies -- in the mountainous central peak region of Hale Crater

Multiple dune fields surround the north polar cap. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows an unnamed region of dunes located between Olympia Undae and Abalos Undae.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows downslope movement of material from the hill at the top of the image. Linear ridges and channels are visible on the surface to the debris flow deposit.

Layers in East Candor

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows one of many troughs located on the polar cap.

The depressions in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Coracis Fossae, part of the highlands south of Solis Planum.

Valles Marineris Features

Cerberus Fossae

Tharsis Flood Features

Siton Undae is a large dune field located in the northern plains near Escorial Crater. Siton Undae is west of the crater and is one of three dune fields near the crater. The nearby north polar cap is dissected by Chasma Boreale, which exposes an ice free surface. This image shows part of the center of the dune field. In this image the crescent nature of the individual dunes can be see in the lower left portion of the image. As the dunes coalesce the crescent form is lost. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside crate

This unusual surface texture is found on the northwest part of Olympus Mons as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey. The origin of this texture is unknown, but speculations include glacial or volatile rich materials as part of the cause of such textures.

The channel feature in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft is part of Tyrrhena Fossae, a large depression that dissects Tyrrhena Mons.

Eroded Cratered Highlands

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a barbed wire-like feature on the surface of Mars.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the dune field on the floor of Rabe Crater.

Opportunity at Crater's 'Cape Verde' (Red Filter)

The sand dunes in this image are part of Olympia Undae, a huge sand sea located near the north polar cap as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Channels on Dunes in Russell Crater

South Polar Layers. This VIS image shows part of the south polar cap. The cap is comprised of layers of ice and dust deposited over millions of years. The bottom half of the image is part of a polar chasma, revealing the surface beneath the ice cap. This image was collected near the end of summer. Orbit Number 92237 Latitude -80.95 Longitude 142.672 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-09-30 01 59 https //photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25755

The power of the wind is evident in the erosion of this portion of the Medusae Fossae Formation

Craters on South Polar Layered Deposits

Damascus Sulcus on Enceladus

Shamshu Mons and Patera, Io

This image of Occator Crater's northern wall was obtained by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on June 16, 2018 from an altitude of about 21 miles (33 kilometers). The sub-spacecraft position from which this image was taken is about 25.8 degrees north latitude and 242.1 degrees east longitude.

South Mid-latitude Gullies

This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of the lava flows that make up Daedalia Planum.

This image of the south polar region shows layered material. It is not known if the layers are formed yearly or if they form over the period of 10s to 100s of years or more

$The pits, fractures and channel-like features captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located on the northern flank of Ascraeus Mons. Most of these features were created by collapse into lava tubes that existed below the surface.$

This MOC image shows a portion of a mesa in eastern Candor Chasma

This anaglyph, from NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, is of Patagonia, near La Esperanza, Argentina. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a multitude of dust devil tracks. The dark linear marks record where the dust devil was in contact with the surface and removed dust revealing the darker surface below.

The streamlined islands in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey are located in Maja Valles.

Lycus Sulci Slope Streaks

This VIS image shows a small portion of the vast lava flow field of Daedalia Planum. The flows originate at Arsia Mons, the southernmost and youngest of the three large aligned volcanoes in the Tharsis region. Arsia Mons' last eruption was tens of million years ago. The youngest volcano in the region is Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in our solar system. Orbit Number 78993 Latitude -22.11 Longitude 239.279 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-10-05 14 17

This anaglyph, from NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, is of Massanutten Mountain in the Shenandoah Valley of northern Virginia. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Gullies in Terra Sirenum

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a streamlined island in Kasei Valles. The teardrop shape indicates that flow was from the bottom to the top of the image.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Aspledon Undae, a region of dunes near the north pole. The right side of the image shows hundreds of small, isolated dunes.

Secrets of the Noachian Highlands: Pit Craters

The surface textures observed in this NASA Mars Odyssey image of Ascraeus Mons are due to different volcanic flow types. Textural variations can be produced under a variety of different conditions such as varying cooling and flow rates.

Layers within the Valles Marineris: Clues to the Ancient Crust of Mars - High Resolution Image

Once Pitted, Twice Spied: A New High Resolution View Inside Escalante Crater

Daedalia Planum. Today's VIS image shows a small portion of the immense lava flows that originated from Arsia Mons. Arsia Mons is the southernmost of the three large aligned volcanoes in the Tharsis region. Arsia Mons' last eruption was 10s of million years ago. The different surface textures are created by differences in the lava viscosity and cooling rates. The lobate margins of each flow can be traced back to the start of each flow or to the point where they are covered by younger flows. Flows in Daedalia Planum can be as long as 180 km (111 miles). For comparison the longest Hawaiian lava flow is only 51 km (˜31 miles) long. The total area of Daedalia Planum is 2.9 million square km - more than four times the size of Texas. Orbit Number 92439 Latitude -22.8332 Longitude 240.737 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-10-16 16 45 https //photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25762

This VIS image shows the two sections of Nanedi Valles. Located In Xanthe Terra, the channel system is 508 km (315 miles) long. Nanedi Valles contains two large channels that join together as the elevation drops near Chryse Planitia. Orbit Number 89747 Latitude 6.03809 Longitude 312.054 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-03-09 01 48

Why the New Gully Deposits are Not Dry Dust Slope Streaks

Detail sandstone cutting at Forest Lakes Road gelatin silver negatives, black-and-white negatives

This still from an animation, made using images taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, shows Occator crater on Ceres, home to a collection of intriguing bright spots.

$The complex fracture system in this image is part of Ceraunius Fossae, one of the fracture systems that surround Alba Mons as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.$

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the layering of the South Polar cap of Mars.

Mars Orbiter Camera Views the Face

Old Arabian Crater

This MOC image shows gullies and cracked and stressed gully apron deposits in a south mid-latitude crater. Gullies can also be seen in the deep shadow on the north wall of the crater

This image shows the central part of the smaller summit caldera on Pavonis Mons. On the top side of the caldera is a complex region of fault related collapse of the wall of the caldera. Several intersecting faults are visible on the top of the image. The faults would have formed areas of weakness in the caldera wall, precipitating into gravity driven down slope movement of materials. This caldera is approximately 5km deep. In shield volcanoes calderas are typically formed where the surface collapses into the void formed by an emptied magma chamber. Pavonis Mons is one of the three aligned Tharsis Volcanoes. The four Tharsis volcanoes are Ascreaus Mons, Pavonis Mons, Arsia Mons, and Olympus Mars. All four are shield type volcanoes. Shield volcanoes are formed by lava flows originating near or at the summit, building up layers upon layers of lava. The Hawaiian islands on Earth are shield volcanoes. The three aligned volcanoes are located along a topographic rise in the Tharsis region. Al

Alba Fossae. Alba Fossae is a set of long valleys on the western side of Alba Mons. These valleys 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. Numerous sets of graben are visible in this THEMIS image, trending from north-northeast to south-southwest. Because the faults defining the graben are formed perpendicular to the direction of the applied stress, we know that extensional forces were pulling the crust apart in the west-northwest/east-southeast direction. The large number of graben around Alba Patera is generally believed to be the result of extensional forces associated with the uplift of Alba Mons. Numerous

Part of Mawrth Vallis

JSC2000E01554 (January 2000) --- This is a shaded relief depiction of the same data set found in JSC2000-E-01553. Radar imagery, such as that to be provided by SRTM, is instrumental in creating these types of topographic models. Both images depict the San Bernadino and San Gabriel Mountains in California, north of Los Angeles. Cajon Junction and Cajon Pass, as well as part of the San Andreas fault line, are clearly seen.

This crater within part of Amazonis Planitia was captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft and displays a number of common features exhibited by Martian craters.

Blueberry Exposed

NASA's Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image is presented as a perspective view and shows a landscape near the eastern shoreline of Kraken Mare, a hydrocarbon sea in Titan's north polar region.

Olympus Mons Flows. Today's VIS image is located east of Olympus Mons. The majority of the image is comprised of volcanic flows. Orbit Number 93930 Latitude 20.4219 Longitude 232.562 Instrument VIS Captured 2023-02-16 12 08 https //photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25928

Today's VIS image covers a small unnamed crater in northern Acidalia Planitia. The crater rim has several gullies and a sand deposit is located on the crater floor. Orbit Number 79346 Latitude 61.5548 Longitude 308 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-11-03 16 41

The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the ejecta from Yuty Crater.

This elevation anaglyph of Los Angeles and adjacent mountainous terrain was created by NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

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