Mars Express Spies Rocky, Chaotic Terrain on Mars

Ariadnes Colles that lies at about 34° south and 172° east. The ground resolution is about 13 m/pixel. Credits: ESA/ DLR/ FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Click for larger version

Wow – what a shot by Mars Express! Mars has several regions of what is called ‘chaotic terrain’. These are areas with large accumulations of rocks of varying sizes, as well as flat-topped features. These erratically shaped rocks are large, too: between 1-10 km in size. Some chaotic terrain on Mars is thought to form when there is a sudden removal of subsurface water or ice, causing the surface material to slump and break into blocks. The region shown here, however — Ariadnes Colles — is not a water-source region, so scientists are still debating whether Ariadnes Colles was formed by the action of water or wind. Either way, this is a very interesting region. See below for a straight on view that’s just as incredible.
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