Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Exclamation Mark on Mars


Turn this image sideways (so North is to the right) and the highstanding landforms look like an exclamation mark.

The origin of these hills may be difficult to understand on such ancient terrain. The straight edges suggest fractures related to faults. Maybe this feature was lifted up by the faulting, maybe the surrounding terrain has been eroded down over billions of years, or both.

Photo credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Note: This landform is located in Isidis Planitia, northwest of Du Martheray Crater.

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