Colour plan view of the Melas Dorsa region in the Martian Highlands
Colour plan view of the Melas Dorsa region in the Martian Highlands
This colour plan view was created by combining data from the nadir channel of the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, which is directed vertically down onto the planet’s surface, with data from the colour channels. Melas Dorsa is located in the volcanic highlands of Mars between Sinai and Thaumasia Plana, about 250 kilometres south of Melas Chasma, the central part of the large Valles Marineris canyon system. A crater with butterfly-shaped ejecta is a visually striking feature, as are what are referred to as 'wrinkle ridges' – ridge-like structures running diagonally across the image and resembling twisted ropes. These arise in volcanically deposited rock layers that form out of a single hardened lava flow. During the cooling process, the lava contracts and strong compressive forces are generated. This pressure causes areas of rock to shrink, causing these characteristic wrinkles to form.
Copyright note:
As a joint undertaking by DLR, ESA and FU Berlin, the Mars Express HRSC images are published under a Creative Commons licence since December 2014: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. This licence will also apply to all HRSC images released to date.