5 April 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the margin of a lava flow on a plain northwest of Jovis Tholus, a volcanic construct located in the Tharsis region of Mars. To the north (top) of the lava flow, islands of a material that was once more laterally extensive are present, suggesting that at some time in the past, a great deal of this material was removed by erosion -- perhaps a catastrophic flood of water and debris. The lava flow at the south (bottom) came in later, long after the erosional events occurred.
Location near
: 20.9°N, 118.9°W
Image width
: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from
: lower left
Season
: Northern Winter
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, Volcano, Water | |
Acquisition Date | ||
Release Date | 2006-04-05 | |
Date in Caption | 2006-04-05 | |
Image Credit | NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems | |
Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08044 | |
Identifier | PIA08044 |