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Marte Vallis Channel

Sept. 14, 2004
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of a channel in the Marte Valles outflow system on Mars. An old meteor impact crater blocked the erosive fluids that poured through Marte Vallis, creating a streamlined tail in its lee.

14 September 2004
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of a channel in the Marte Valles outflow system. An old meteor impact crater in the lower left (southwest) corner of the image blocked the erosive fluids that poured through Marte Vallis, creating a streamlined tail in its lee. The materials that flowed through the valley may have been water-rich mud, very fluid lava, or both. The nature of the fluid is still a matter of research and discussion among Mars scientists. This image is located near 12.5°N, 177.5°W. The image covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the left/lower left.

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