Mars Geological Features

Images of Martian landscapes captured by spacecraft, showcasing geological formations such as valleys, ridges, and lava flows on the surface of Mars.

Candor Chasma
Candor Chasma
283 assets in this story
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This VIS image shows part of the 'rim' of Orcus Patera. How Orcus Patera formed is a mystery. Along the east facing ridge walls in this image multiple regions of dark slope streaks are visible. It is believed these features formed due to down slope movement of materials, either revealing darker rock beneath a dusty cover, or a coating of the surface with another material. Orbit Number 71859 Latitude 14.916 Longitude 177.42 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-02-25 01 02
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of Aeolis Mensae, a complex region of hills, plateaus and graben.
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Gullies
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Today's VIS image shows Biblis Patera, the summit caldera of the volcano Biblis Tholus. This volcano is located west of Pavonis Mons and is just one of the numerous volcanoes found in the Tharsis region. Orbit Number 77870 Latitude 2.21414 Longitude 236.308 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-07-05 03 02
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Fractures & Dunes
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Dark-Toned Ridges in Meridiani
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Today's VIS image shows part of the floor of Lyot Crater, including a large field of sand dunes on the crater floor. At 236 km diameter (146 miles), Lyot Crater is one of the largest craters in the northern hemisphere of Mars. Lyot is a double ringed crater, and these dunes are located in the outer of the two rings. Lyot Crater is located in Vastitas Borealis, part of the northern hemisphere lowlands.Craters that contain two rings one inside the other are variously called peak ring craters or double ring basins. This morphology can develop in craters larger than 100 km across. Orbit Number 80098 Latitude 49.2071 Longitude 29.7776 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-01-04 14 22
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Today's VIS image shows a region of chaos terrain south of Eos Chasma. Chaos terrain is typified by regions of blocky, often steep sided, mesas interspersed with deep valleys. With time and erosion the valleys widen and the mesas become smaller. It has been proposed that a catastrophic outflow of subsurface water creates the chaos. Orbit Number 90820 Latitude -16.5354 Longitude 319.24 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-06-05 10 07
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Peneus Patera
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows eroded materials on the floor of Candor Chasma.
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Tectonic activity in this region has not only fractured the surface, but has tilted some of the fracture blocks
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Crater Karzok on Olympus Mons
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The eastern rim of this unnamed crater in Claritas Fossae is very degraded, as seen in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey, indicating that it's very ancient and has been subjected to erosion and bombardment from impactors such as asteroids and comets.
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Halley Crater is located on the western side of Argyre Planitia. Sand dunes cover part of the crater floor. Orbit Number 74805 Latitude -47.8668 Longitude 301.231 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-10-25 16 25
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This NASA Mars Odyssey image shows 'Lycus Sulci,' a region of ridges and hills located north-northwest of the volcano Olympus Mons. Several dust avalanches on the flanks of the roughly textured surfaces suggest a thick coating of fine-grained materials.
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This NASA Mars Odyssey image was taken during winter in the southern hemisphere, meaning that the usually cloudy Hellas Basin is relatively free from clouds.
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Today's VIS image shows the surface between Aeolis Planum and Zephyria Planum in Elysium Planitia. Long term winds have eroded the surface in this region. Features align with wind direction, and the multiple ridge orientations in this image indicate varying wind directions over time. Orbit Number 79757 Latitude -5.05219 Longitude 155.498 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-12-07 12 12
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Confined Flow
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This VIS image shows part of Chryse Chaos. Chaos forms from erosion of the surface into mesa features. With time the valleys expand creating the jumble of hills seen in the image. Chryse Chaos is located within the complex channel system that flows from Valles Marineris to empty into the lowlands of Chryse Planitia. Orbit Number 94813 Latitude 11.4804 Longitude 320.244 Instrument VIS Captured 2023-04-30 05 00
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Dust Devil Tracks
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of the floor of Coprates Catena, just south of the Valles Marineris canyon system. The lighter toned materials in the center of the image are layered deposits.
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This VIS image shows a section of Cerberus Fossae. Located southeast of the Elysium Planitia volcanic complex, the linear graben was created by tectonic forces related to the volcanic activity. The fossae cuts across features such as hills, indicating the relative youth of the tectonic activity. The fossae is also the source of several channels, some of which are visible on the bottom of the fossae. Orbit Number 71498 Latitude 9.94964 Longitude 157.873 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-01-26 07 16
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Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in central Coprates Chasma. In this image, there is a landslide deposit at the bottom of the image. The brighter material to the left of the landslide appears to be a rough surface likely etched by wind action. The chasma contains numerous regions of sand dunes, indicating that the wind plays a part in the erosion and deposition of fine materials in the canyon. 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 fe
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Today's VIS image shows part of Atlantis Chaos. Chaos terrain is typified by regions of blocky, often steep sided, mesas interspersed with deep valleys. With time and erosion the valleys widen and the mesas become smaller. The mesas in this image appear brighter than the surrounding lowlands, likely due to relatively less dust cover. Atlantis Chaos is located in Terra Sirenum. Orbit Number 83918 Latitude -34.684 Longitude 183.217 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-11-14 02 09
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These dunes are located in a low plains region north of Aonia Planum as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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Scalloped Topography in Peneus Patera Crater
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Gullies in Inner Slope of Crater and Exposed Bedrock
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This image shows a different part of Utopia Planitia than yesterday's image. Both are marked with hundreds of dust devil tracks as seen by by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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This VIS image shows a sand sheet with surface dune forms on the floor of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. Orbit Number 82070 Latitude -48.8906 Longitude 34.114 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-06-14 22 47
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This VIS shows part of Acheron Fossae. Acheron Fossae is the highly fractured, faulted and deformed terrain located 1,050 kilometers (650 miles) north of the large shield volcano Olympus Mons. Lava flows from Olympus Mons at the base of Acheron Fossae show that the fossae predate the flows. The scarps visible in this image are approximately one kilometer (3,300 feet) high. Orbit Number 79929 Latitude 37.9951 Longitude 227.289 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-12-21 16 21
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft captures two channels (Nirgal Vallis is the smaller sinuous channel on the left and Uzboi Vallis is the larger channel located in the lower right) and Luki Crater located in the upper right.
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a portion of Cerberus Fossae.
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Today's VIS image is located on the eastern flank of Alba Mons. The entire region containing Alba Mons and Tempe Terra (east of this image) is cut by north and northeast trending linear fractures. The majority of the linear fractures are graben, paired fractures with a down dropped block of material between the fractures. This tectonic feature occurs in regions of extensional stresses. Orbit Number 81051 Latitude 38.7597 Longitude 258.468 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-03-23 01 34
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This VIS image shows part of Ophir Chasma. Ophir Chasma is part of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon system on Mars. At the top of the image is a portion of a large landslide deposit which originate at the northern wall of the canyon. The bright toned part at the bottom of the image is the northern extent of Beatis Mensa, a large layered deposit within the canyon. Orbit Number 79116 Latitude -3.66498 Longitude 288.151 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-10-15 17 28
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Southern Dust Devils
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Cavi Angusti, a region of depressions near the south polar cap. The linear ridges in the image were likely formed by tectonic activity.
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Ulysses Patera
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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 90698 Latitude -22.5145 Longitude 239.748 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-05-26 08 59
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The Summit of Olympus Mons
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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 87778 Latitude -14.0489 Longitude 240.029 Instrument VIS Captured 2021-09-27 22 36
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Today's VIS image shows part of Aeolis Planum. The surface in this region has been heavily eroded by wind action. Orbit Number 87307 Latitude -0.895655 Longitude 146.176 Instrument VIS Captured 2021-08-20 03 54
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The sand sheet and dune forms in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located on the floor of Rabe Crater.
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Crater Dunes. This VIS image displays sand dunes within an unnamed creater in Noachis Terra. These dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected in the bottom of the crater. The topographic depression of the crater forms a sand trap that prevents the sand from escaping. Dune fields are common in the bottoms of craters on Mars and appear as dark splotches that often lean up against the downwind walls of the craters. Dunes are useful for studying both the geology and meteorology of Mars. The sand forms by erosion of larger rocks, but it is unclear when and where this erosion took place on Mars or how such large volumes of sand could be formed. The dunes also indicate the local wind directions by their morphology. Orbit Number 91298 Latitude -48.6733 Longitude 33.859 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-07-14 18 06
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Wind Erosion. At the top of this VIS image is an area eroded by the wind. This region of the Martian surface is highly dissected by wind action. The surface materials are poorly cemented and easily eroded. It has been suggested that the surface is comprised of volcanic ash deposits, sourced from the Tharsis and Apollinaris volcanoes. Orbit Number 93116 Latitude -8.25265 Longitude 151.629 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-12-11 10 31 https //photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25818
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Debris Flow
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This unusual crater is located in Sinai Planum as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. Not only is the shape of this crater odd, but just how the ridges on the floor formed is unknown.
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This fracture system, located southwest of Elysium Mons, is called Elysium Chasma. NASA's Mars Odyssey captured this image on Sept. 15, 2010.
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Ares Vallis
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This image shows how the wind is eroding the material of Gordii Dorsum
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Only a portion of the ejecta remains around this crater. Wind action is creating yardangs and stripping off the surface materials in this region. The margin of Apollinaris Patera is at the bottom 1/3 of the frame
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THEMIS ART #92
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This VIS image shows a portion of the northern flank of Ascreaus Mons. Multiple linear depressions cut across the surface lava flows, having formed after the surface in this region. The chains of oval depressions typically form when a subsurface void is filled by collapse of the 'roof' above it. Orbit Number 73141 Latitude 14.9784 Longitude 255.874 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-06-10 15 37
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The main agent of erosion on Mars today is the wind. Wind has sculpted the surface in this region into a set of hills and valleys called yardangs on Earth. This image is from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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Yardangs and Crosshatching
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Floor of Ius Chasma
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Ophir Chasma
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Rabe Crater Dunes. Today's VIS image shows part of the floor of Rabe Crater, including the large dune field. Located in Noachis Terra, Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. As the dunes are created by wind action the forms of the dunes record the wind direction. Dunes will have a long low angle component and a short high angle side. The steep side is called the slip face. The wind blows up the long side of the dune. In this part of the crater the winds were generally moving from the lower right corner of the image towards the upper left. Craters of similar size as Rabe Crater often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individ
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Individual dunes are found on the floor of this unnamed crater located to the north of Rabe Crater in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows old, heavily cratered volcanic terrain in Terra Tyrrhena within the Martian southern highlands.
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The ridges and mesas in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Hydraotes Chaos.
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Reull Vallis. This VIS image shows a short section of Reull Vallis. Reull Vallis starts in Promethei Terra and empties into Hellas Plainitia. Reull Vallis is 1051km (653 miles) long. Orbit Number 92175 Latitude -38.4731 Longitude 111.272 Instrument VIS Captured 2022-09-24 23 41 https //photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25751
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This region of platy lava flows is located in Elysium Planitia. The channel at the bottom of the image may have been the source of the lava
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This VIS image shows part of Minio Vallis. Minio Vallis is just one of many channels that flow northward thru Terra Sirenum to empty into Amazonis Planitia. Minio Vallis is 88km long (55miles), and is located west of the much larger Mangala Valles. Orbit Number 79855 Latitude -4.62787 Longitude 208.183 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-12-15 13 52
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This VIS image shows a region of hills in the plains of Terra Cimmeria. The bright appearance is likely due to the removal of fine scale materials like dust which exposes the underlying rock. Orbit Number 82889 Latitude -37.175 Longitude 164.292 Instrument VIS Captured 2020-08-21 09 19
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This VIS image shows part of the floor of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. Individual dunes and a large sand sheet with surface dune morphology fill a large area of the crater floor. The amount of sand controls the formation of dunes. Regions with only a limited amount of sand will contain small individual dunes. As more sand enters a region the dunes will grow larger. When large amounts of sand fill a region, individual dunes will coalesce into larger and larger dunes, eventually completely covering the surface as a sand sheet with dune crest features on the top. Dunes often occur in craters on Mars. Orbit Number 75357 Latitude -52.1099 Longitude 33.1768 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-12-10 03 58
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A Question of Interpretation
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows dunes on the floor of Melas Chasma.
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Hydraotes Chaos
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A sand sheet and dune forms are present on the floor of Capri Chasmain this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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Dunes on Wirtz Crater
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This image was collected at the same time as yesterday's infrared image. In the visible wavelengths the dunes are dark, in IR they are bright (warm).
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Granicus Valles. This VIS image shows one of the channels that comprise Granicus Valles. Granicus Valles is a complex channel system located west of Elysium Mons. The system is approximately 750km long (466 miles). It is likely that both water and lava played a part in creation of the feature. Orbit Number 93946 Latitude 28.3677 Longitude 129.844 Instrument VIS Captured 2023-02-17 19 48 https //photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25934
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the caldera rim of Nili Patera. Dunes are located within the caldera.
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This VIS image shows the eastern edge of Tithonium Chasma, one of the large valley systems that comprise Valles Marineris. Large fractures are visible on the upper margin of the chasma. Downward from those fractures are several landslide deposits. Orbit Number 72317 Latitude -4.93727 Longitude 280.84 Instrument VIS Captured 2018-04-03 18 26
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows several of the channels located in the Elysium Mons volcanic complex. It is likely that these channels were formed by lava flow rather than water.
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Mare Chromium Crater
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Today's VIS image shows a section of Shalbatana Vallis. Along side of the major channel is a smaller tributary channel. A landslide deposit is also visible in this image. Shalbatana Vallis is located in Xanthe Terra. It is an outflow channel carved by massive floods from escaping groundwater whose source lies far to the south of this image. Orbit Number 78229 Latitude 6.91366 Longitude 317.791 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-08-03 16 34
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NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft spies what looks like a wishbone. Orbit Number 54572 Latitude 45.2725 Longitude 209.706 Instrument VIS Captured 2014-04-03 07 24
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These ridges near the south polar cap are called Angustus Labyrinthus, as shown in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the complexity of wind erosion on Mars. The erosion of the hills and the gouge-like pits indicate two, if not three wind directions that all altered the surface.
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft displays sand dunes within Proctor Crater. These dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected in the bottom of the crater.
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. Artynia Catena. This VIS image shows part of Artynia Catena, just one of many north/south trending tectonic graben located around Alba Mons. Artynia Catena is located northwest of Alba Mons. While other graben in the area are identified as fossae (defined as a long, narrow depression), the circular depressions within this graben lead to the descriptor name catena (defined as a chain of craters). In this case the craters are most likely a result of roof collapse into an underlying open space such as a lava tube. Artynia Catena is 279km (173 miles) long. Orbit Number 94566 Latitude 46.3178 Longitude 240.536 Instrument VIS Captured 2023-04-09 21 05
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The channels in this image are part of Ravi Vallis as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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This image taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows a portion of the floor of Melsa Chasma. Wind blown material is located in lows between layered floor materials.
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The dunes in this unnamed crater in Aonia Terra are coalescing into a sand sheet in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
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Gigas Meets Ulysses
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Olympus Rupes is the name of the large escarpment surrounding Olympus Mons. The escarpment is a cliff where there is a large elevation change over a short distance. The elevation change from the lower volcanic plains to the volcano flank is up to 8km (5 miles), almost the height of Mount Everest. This VIS image is located along the northern margin of Olympus Mons, the largest Martian volcano. Orbit Number 88003 Latitude 23.0185 Longitude 223.988 Instrument VIS Captured 2021-10-16 11 26
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small dune field on the floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.
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Granicus Valles
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This complexly eroded region is part of Aeolis Planum. The image has portions that appear to be layered material that has been eroded by wind action. Orbit Number 88767 Latitude -4.08573 Longitude 146.342 Instrument VIS Captured 2021-12-18 09 05
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This image, taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, shows part of the floor of Ganges Chasma. Sand dunes and windstreaks indicate long term wind action in the area.
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This image of Candor Chasma captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows layered floor materials.
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The windstreaks in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey are located on the plains of southern Syrtis Major Planum.
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NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft captured these gullies located on a cliff-face within Lyell Crater.
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Olympica Fossae is a complex channel located on the volcanic plains between Alba Mons and Olympus Mons. The sinuosity of some of the channel sections in the the image indicates that liquid flow played a part creating these features. In this case the location and other surface features point to lava rather than water as the liquid. The interconnecting linear sections of depressions are most likely formed by the collapse of the surface into voids left by lava tubes. Orbit Number 88152 Latitude 24.3724 Longitude 245.149 Instrument VIS Captured 2021-10-28 17 53
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the dune field on the floor of Hussey Crater.
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Today's VIS image shows a section of Naktong Vallis. Located in Terra Sabaea, Naktong Vallis is 670 km long (415 miles). Orbit Number 79337 Latitude 7.12086 Longitude 30.7954 Instrument VIS Captured 2019-11-02 22 16
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Ophir Chasma
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The steep northern wall of Tithonium Chasma crosses this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. Landslide deposits from slope failure can be seen at the lower left corner of the image.
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the complex channel called Mengala Valles.