In the west of the area (on the right-hand edge of the image) conspicuous, irregularly shaped light-coloured blocks are visible. These features are up to two kilometres in size and are probably large rock fragments or mounds of rock. However, the mechanism of their formation is still being debated. One possibility is that the top layer of rock was shattered by the shockwaves from an impact.

Another possible explanation would be a process known as subrosion, where material is removed from layers beneath the surface. On Mars, subrosion is widely observed when rising magma heats frozen ground water, which melts and removes subsurface material as it flows away. This leads to a honeycomb of cavities that eventually collapse due to the weight of the overlying rock layers, leaving the irregular mounds standing. The bright surface is probably due to the fact that wind has removed the overlying dust and sand and exposed the bare rock surface.

The imaged region, on the northern edge of the Magellan (Magelhaens) Crater, was acquired from an altitude of 500 kilometres on 6 February 2009 during orbit 6547 and has a resolution of about 25 metres per pixel. The images show an area at 34°S and 185°E. Measuring about 190 kilometres by 112 kilometres, the area shown covers about 21,280 square kilometres, which is about the size of Slovenia. It is to the southwest of the volcanic region Tharsis on the southern highlands of Mars.

This image was created using a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) derived from data acquired by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) operated by DLR on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft. Elevation data from the DTM is colour-coded – purple indicates the lowest-lying regions and beige the higher elevations. The scale is in metres.