Aram Chaos is located within a confined 280-kilometer diameter Noachian-aged crater that at some time filled with water. Much of the chaos terrain within Aram is characterized by plateaus and mesas separated by valleys with varying degree of sizes.

After the chaos terrain formed, light-toned sulfates were deposited. Sulfates are a common mineral identified from both orbital and rover data of Mars and can vary in their mineralogy and hydration state. Three different types of sulfates have been identified in Aram Chaos, indicating a complex and evolving aqeuous history.

By studying the distribution and stratigraphy of the different types of sulfates, scientists can explore what most likely explains their formation, as well as how that geologic timing constrains the broader Martian climate evolution when they formed.

ID: ESP_085467_1840
date: 19 October 2024
altitude: 273 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_085467_1840
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
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