Mars Photo of the Day - Apr 29 2012

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Today's Image of Mars comes from HiRISE and shows folded layered deposits in Melas Chasma, which is located in central Valles Marineris. That's right, there are huge layers of rock that have been folded over on one another! The question is, how did they get that way?

We can use the knowledge gained from examination of similar features on Earth to make educated judgements about their creation on Mars. On earth huge rocks will fold when they become deeply buried and are exposed to high pressure and temperatures, but on Mars this is unlikely the case because it doesn't experience as much vertical shift as Earth does.

There is a more plausible explanation for these folded features on Mars, and that is water. Water could have caused the material near the surface to be become soft and malleable, making it easier to fold and bend, even under the slightest pressure.

Click on this image to see the original high resolution image from HiRISE. [See their caption for the image]

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Mars Photo of the Day - Jan 2 2012

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Today's Image of Mars shows part of the boundary between Melas Chasma (on the left) and the surrounding terrain. Melas Chasma is part of the Valles Marineris rift valley, which spans more than 4000km across the surface of Mars. 

Melas Chasma sinks 9km below the surface of the surrounding terrain, giving it the distinction of being one of the lowest depressions on Mars. This image only covers 20,000 sq km, which the ESA mentions is about the size of Slovenia. 

This image helps scientists see different layered deposits along the boundary wall, which gives them insight into the conditions on Mars in the distant past when the deposits were made. This is most helpful for the area surrounding Melas Chasma because there is abundant evidence that the Valles Marineris region was once had an abundance of flowing water, as evidenced by water cut channels and lighter-colored sulfates likely deposited by a former lake. 

This image was taken by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on July 1 2006. Clicking on the image will take you to the hi-res version from the ESA. [See the original article from the ESA on Melas Chasma]

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