Crumpled

22 June 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the sinuous margin of a dust-covered, ridged lava flow in southern Daedalia Planum, Mars. The ridges on the flow formed by compression as the surface of the lava flow cooled and began to harden before the molten material of interior solidified. Note that the surface to the south (toward the bottom of the image) of the lava flow margin is more heavily cratered than the flow surface; this observation is consistent with the superposition relationship between the younger lava flow and older substrate.

Location near: 25.9°S, 128.7°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Autumn