Data from the CRISM instrument on MRO shows smectites on the floor of this trough in Noctis Labyrinthus. The HiRISE image to the west indicates there are light-toned units buried beneath a plain and exposed along this portion of the trough. Our image at this location can help to identify the units that correspond to these mineralogies. Smectite is a type of clay mineral that undergoes reversible expansion on absorbing water.

ID: ESP_017610_1730
date: 29 April 2010
altitude: 259 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_017610_1730
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
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