Topographic map of Hydraotes Chaos
Topographic map of Hydraotes Chaos
Terrain models can be derived from the stereo image data acquired by the HRSC camera system operated by DLR. In the absence of ‘sea level’, the elevation data is referenced to an areoid – a modelled equipotential surface on which everything experiences the same gravitational attraction towards the centre of the planet. It is clear that the plateaus of the many mesas are remnants of the once continuous level of the surrounding Martian highlands in Hydraotes Chaos. The mesas almost all have heights of between 1000 and 2000 metres. Also visible is the beginning of Simud Valles, a large outflow channel through which Hydraotes drained to the north. The false colours indicate different heights; the scale is shown at the left of the image. North is to the right in the image. In the hi-res downloadable image, north is up.
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.