Landscape shaped by volcanic activity, wind and asteroid impacts
Landscape shaped by volcanic activity, wind and asteroid impacts
This offshoot of Amazonis Planitia lies west of the Tharsis region, which was shaped by intense volcanic activity. Its most striking features are long, streamlined ridges (dorsi) separated by narrow corridors. South of the large crater (on the left-hand side of the image), these structures – known as yardangs – were formed by wind erosion. To the southeast (bottom left), several small, more heavily weathered craters can be seen. In the east (lower of the image), lava flows are visible, presumably from the volcano Olympus Mons, which stands nearby to the east.
