The eastern edge of the Acheron Fossae region
The eastern edge of the Acheron Fossae region
Acheron Fossae – the 'troughs of Acheron' – are named after a mythical river from ancient Greece that was said to carry souls into the underworld. These structures span a crescent-shaped arc roughly 1200 kilometres long, located north of the massive Martian volcano Olympus Mons. Tectonic fault structures formed here as a result of crustal extension, producing a pattern known in geology as a horst-and-graben landscape. In the lower-lying areas, these faults are covered by glacial deposits and solidified lava flows. The area shown in this image spans approximately 300 by 80 kilometres – slightly larger than the German federal state of Hessen.
