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> Mars: Hebes Chasma

Mars: Hebes Chasma

author: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin-G. Neukum/Novapix

reference: a-mar09-00121

Image Size 300 DPI: 41 * 38 cm

View of Hebes Chasma obtained by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft. Hebes Chasma is an enclosed trough, almost 8000 m deep, in Valles Marineris, the Grand Canyon of Mars. 
A mesa-like mountain is located in the center of Hebes Chasma. It reaches 8000 meters above the graben floor and extends almost to the top of the surrounding plain. The mountain is made up by numerous stacked rock layers. The layering may consists of remnants of the older plateau, lake sediments, wind blown sediments or volcanic rock. The rock layers were exposed by erosional processes. Newest data acquired by the OMEGA spectrometer on-board Mars Express revealed hydratized (water-bearing) minerals like gypsum in some areas of Hebes Chasma. What ever kind of processes led to the formation of the Interior Layered Deposits: at least some water once existed in Hebes Chasma. Hebes Chasma is located at approximately 1° south and 282° east. The HRSC obtained image data on 16 September 2005 with a ground resolution of approximately 15 m/pixel.

Keywords for this photo:

2005 - 2008 - ASTRONOMY - CANYON - HEBES CHASMA - MARS - MARS EXPRESS - PLANET - PLATEAU - WATER -