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Southeastern Archeron Fossae - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Tectonically deformed terrain near the southeastern boundary of Archeron Fossae (36.5 N, 229.1E). This heavily faulted terrain is likely related to two large volcanoes, Olympus Mons and Alba Mons. The immense weight of these two volcanoes presses down on the Martian mantle underneath, causing the mantle and crust to bulge elsewhere to conserve volume, a process called 'isostasy'. The faults of Archeron Fossae point back in the general direction of Alba Mons (the summit of which is ~1000 km away), but are also curved circumferentially to Olympus Mons (the summit of which is ~1100 km away). The likely explanation is that the isostatic force from the two volcanoes is amplified in this region, leading to the complex terrain seen today.
This image was created using the CRISM imaging spectrometer. Each pixel of a CRISM image contains a 500 point spectrum, from which a color can be reconstructed. This reconstructed color was overlaid on a higher-resolution image taken with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX), which simultaneously took a photo while CRISM was collecting data.
This image was taken on January 10, 2007. It uses CRISM observation HRL00003D61 and CTX observation P03_002144_2165_XI_36N130W
Image Credit: NASA / JPL / JHUAPL / MSSS / Justin Cowart
Southeastern Archeron Fossae - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Tectonically deformed terrain near the southeastern boundary of Archeron Fossae (36.5 N, 229.1E). This heavily faulted terrain is likely related to two large volcanoes, Olympus Mons and Alba Mons. The immense weight of these two volcanoes presses down on the Martian mantle underneath, causing the mantle and crust to bulge elsewhere to conserve volume, a process called 'isostasy'. The faults of Archeron Fossae point back in the general direction of Alba Mons (the summit of which is ~1000 km away), but are also curved circumferentially to Olympus Mons (the summit of which is ~1100 km away). The likely explanation is that the isostatic force from the two volcanoes is amplified in this region, leading to the complex terrain seen today.
This image was created using the CRISM imaging spectrometer. Each pixel of a CRISM image contains a 500 point spectrum, from which a color can be reconstructed. This reconstructed color was overlaid on a higher-resolution image taken with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX), which simultaneously took a photo while CRISM was collecting data.
This image was taken on January 10, 2007. It uses CRISM observation HRL00003D61 and CTX observation P03_002144_2165_XI_36N130W
Image Credit: NASA / JPL / JHUAPL / MSSS / Justin Cowart