While Athabasca Valles has a complex history, volcanic eruption generally dominates the landscape. In some regions of Mars rough textures on the surface are weathered, mantled by dust, and difficult to decipher in terms of a volcanic origin. In Athabasca Valles, the volcanic origin is clear.

Evidence of large-scale flooding by lava is revealed by a number of features. As the molten rock cools, it initially forms a crust. This crust can be rafted to form ridges where independent crusts collide, or develop rope-like ripples where crust slows and bunches up. When the crust breaks apart, rafted sections can move about, giving an appearance of disjointed patterns that can be fit back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Occasionally, movement of the flow can create eddy currents and spiral patterns that become frozen in place. Along the margins of the flow, lava oozes into topographic lows before stopping and solidifying. Taken together these features paint a consistent picture of a fluid volcanic eruption.

ID: ESP_090181_1875
date: 22 October 2025
altitude: 277 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_090181_1875
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
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