The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter captured new images of a long, snaking scar on Mars called Aganippe Fossa.
At 600 km long, Aganippe Fossa is longer than the Grand Canyon on Earth. It is a type of geological feature known as a graben, formed by cracks in Mars’ crust caused by magma rising under volcanoes.
The orbiter’s high-resolution camera provided detailed views of the varied terrain around the scar, including hilly, clustered areas and smooth, sloping cliffs covered in debris.
Aganippe Fossa is located at the base of the large Arsia Mons volcano. Images also showed characteristics of the volcano’s ring-shaped “aureole”, possibly associated with ancient glaciers.
Wind patterns on Mars were visible, creating dark and light “zebra-like” patterns on the surface from deposited material. Evidence of past lava flows from the once-active volcano were also seen.
The new images contribute to scientists’ understanding of Mars’ landscapes and geological processes through observation from Mars Express, which has been orbiting the planet since 2003.
Source: Space
