PIA03017: Volcanic Pit Chain


Volcanic Pit Chain

Caption:

5 October 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a chain of collapse pits on the lower south flank of Ascraeus Mons. Pit chains such as this are the result of collapse along fault lines. In this case, before the collapses occurred, the fault was a conduit for molten rock -- magma -- which erupted to form a suite of lava flows (now covered by mantles of dust) that can be seen radiating away from the pit at the center of the image.

Location near : 7.2°N, 104.3°W
Image width : width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from : lower left
Season : Northern Autumn

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 Dust, Grayscale, Mountain, Volcano
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2005-10-05
Date in Caption 2005-10-05
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03017
Identifier PIA03017