Distinctive
structures appear on the floor of Candor Chasma, a major canyon of Valles Marineris on Mars. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera (HiRISE) on the
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft obtained this image.
The rocks
along the floor of the chasma consist of multiple layers of light-toned
material, possibly windblown or water-lain sediment. These layers have been
shifted along faults and folded, giving the layers a wavy appearance on the
surface, being exposed through erosion.
Some
waviness in the layers may have also formed in the laying-down of these
sediments, perhaps in dunes or large ripples. Further mapping of these faults
and folds is required to reveal the origin of these layered deposits, and determine
if water played any role in their formation.
--NASA/JPL/University of Arizona and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
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