Topographical overview showing the location of Arcadia Planitia
Topographical overview showing the location of Arcadia Planitia
Arcadia Planitia forms part of the Martian northern lowlands, located northwest of the Tharsis plateau with its giant volcanoes – the biggest on Mars. ESA's Mars Express spacecraft flew over the region on 10 November 2024 during orbit 26,333 and recorded the marked image strip with the HRSC camera system operated by DLR. The images published here are taken from the small rectangle. Arcadia Planitia is largely characterised by solidified, low-viscosity lava that erupted not quite two billion years ago. Large quantities of water ice are thought to have formed underground.