Regional overview map of a transition zone from the Martian highlands to the lowlands
Regional overview map of a transition zone from the Martian highlands to the lowlands
This area is located in the north-western tip of the ‘Golden Plain’ known as Chryse Planitia. This lowland plain is one of the most studied regions on Mars, as one of the most geologically interesting. It lies almost two and a half kilometres below the surrounding Martian highlands, making it one of the lowest-lying areas on Mars. Several large valley systems and outflow channels flow from the highlands into Chryse Planitia, where the erosive power of water has significantly shaped the landscape visible today. This was the main reason why NASA's Viking 1 probe landed there in July 1976 – followed by Mars Pathfinder, the first Mars rover, in 1997. ESA's Mars Express probe recorded a swath approximately 500 kilometres long, from the southern half of which (the small rectangle) the scenes shown here are taken.
Credit:
NASA/JPL (MOLA); FU Berlin