The Mawrth Vallis region of Mars reveals some of the most colorful layered sedimentary rocks on the Red Planet. There are ongoing debates about how these clay-rich deposits formed on very ancient Mars, more than 3 billion years ago.

Mawrth Vallis has often been on the candidate list for possible landing sites for robotic exploration. Located between the southern highlands and northern lowlands, the valley is a channel formed by massive flooding which occurred in Mars’ ancient past.

ID: ESP_072610_2030
date: 22 January 2022
altitude: 285 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_072610_2030
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA