Today's Image of Mars shows fractured mounds on the southern edge of Elysium Planitia. These are just some of the many mounds found in the south of Elysium Plantilla. On average these mounds measure a few kilometers wide and about 60 meters high. By analyzing the fractures that appear on the mounds scientists have been able to determine that the mounds were pushed up from below.
These mounds are peculiar for Elysium Planitia, which is a generally flat area, owing to large lava flows that have covered most crater and land forms (but not all). Scientists speculate that these mounds are actually solidified lava because they join and share a common texture with the flood lavas that cover all of Elysium Planitia.
This image was taken by HiRISE in 2008. if it looks strange, that's because it is actually a 3-D image. To see it in 3-D relief you will need to use red-blue glasses. Don't have 3-D glasses? Fortunately Amazon has them for only $0.16 (Plus S&H)!
Viewing images of Mars in 3-D allows you to see just how magnificent Mars really is! It is definitely worth the small investment!
Clicking on the image below will take you to a brief article on the image from NASA.
Viewing images of Mars in 3-D allows you to see just how magnificent Mars really is! It is definitely worth the small investment!Clicking on the image below will take you to a brief article on the image from NASA.
