Inverted Channels of Aeolis
Caption:
17 November 2004
Mars was once a much wetter world than it is today. Locked within the martian bedrock are ancient channels and valleys through which liquids -- e.g., water -- once flowed. In the Aeolis region of Mars, wind erosion has exposed and inverted a plethora of ancient channels - stream beds -- in a fan-shaped sedimentary rock unit near 6.3°S, 208.6°W. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example. The smooth-looking, sinuous ridges that run left-right across the image are the inverted channels. The rugged, sharp-looking ridges that run nearly north-south (up-down) through the image are yardangs--ridges formed by wind erosion. The water (or other liquid) responsible for the original channels flowed from the left (west) to right/upper right (east/northeast). This scene covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) across, and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.
Cataloging Keywords:
| Name |
Value |
Additional Values |
| Target |
Mars |
|
| System |
|
|
| Target Type |
Planet |
|
| Mission |
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) |
|
| Instrument Host |
Mars Global Surveyor |
|
| Host Type |
Orbiter |
|
| Instrument |
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) |
|
| Detector |
|
|
| Extra Keywords |
Grayscale, Water |
| Acquisition Date |
|
| Release Date |
2004-11-17 |
| Date in Caption |
2004-11-17 |
|
| Image Credit |
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
| Source |
photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07057 |
| Identifier |
PIA07057 |
