Tectonic horsts and grabens at the highland-lowland Martian boundary
Tectonic horsts and grabens at the highland-lowland Martian boundary
Many structures in the Martian highlands are caused by the extension and fracturing of the rigid rock crust. The Coloe Fossae, at the border to the northern lowlands, are a prime example; as a result of stretching in an east-west direction, entire crustal blocks have subsided into the gaps along north-south-trending fault lines. This type of landscape is known as a ‘horst and graben’ structure.
