The central portion of this image features a mildly-winding depression that was carved by water, likely around four billion years ago shortly after the Hellas basin formed following a giant asteroid or comet impact.

Water would have flowed from the uplands (to the east) and drained into the low-lying basin, carving river channels as it flowed. The gentle curves—called “meanders” by geomorphologists—imply that this paleoriver carried lots of sediment along with it, depositing it into Hellas.

ID: ESP_045611_1410
date: 19 April 2016
altitude: 254 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_045611_1410
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
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