The Red Planet is home to Valles Marineris
Mars, the red planet continues to surprise us with the images that we can observe. Without a doubt the universe is and will always be an enigma to be discovered. The images below are surprising.
The Red Planet is home to Valles Marineris, the solar system's largest canyon. Within this canyon lies Ius Chasma. This image, which spans the floor of its southern trench,m was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The canyon is well-known for its fine stratigraphic layers modified by wind and water.
The outcrops contain interchanging layers of dark and bright rocks. The layered deposits consist of dark basalt lava flows and bright sedimentary layers. The sediments are likely to be from atmospheric dust, sand or alluvium from an ancient water source. The layers are visible on the gentle slopes above the canyon floor, in pitted areas, and in small mesa buttes. The floor of the canyon is littered with megaripples that are aligned in a north-south direction. More...
Full article: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1177.htmlThe outcrops contain interchanging layers of dark and bright rocks. The layered deposits consist of dark basalt lava flows and bright sedimentary layers. The sediments are likely to be from atmospheric dust, sand or alluvium from an ancient water source. The layers are visible on the gentle slopes above the canyon floor, in pitted areas, and in small mesa buttes. The floor of the canyon is littered with megaripples that are aligned in a north-south direction. More...
Source: nasa.gov
Credit image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona