PIA04682: Scamander Vallis


Scamander Vallis

Caption:

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-448, 10 August 2003

The heavily cratered terrains of Mars bear the scars of many, ancient valley systems and networks. When these were first seen in images from Mariner 9 more than 30 years ago, most investigators working on the topic concluded that the valleys must have formed by running water. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a somewhat meandered portion of Scamander Vallis, located in central Arabia Terra near 16.9°N, 331.5°W. The valley today is quite dry and the entire area--valley, craters, and surrounding terrain--are covered by an almost uniform blanket of dust. Dark streaks on the slopes are formed by small avalanches of dust. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the right.

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mariner
Instrument Host Mars Global Surveyor
Host Type Orbiter Flyby Spacecraft
Instrument Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
Detector
Extra Keywords Crater, Dust, Grayscale, Water
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2003-08-20
Date in Caption 2003-08-10
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04682
Identifier PIA04682