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Fluvial Fan on a Crater Floor

This observation shows a terrific fan-shaped deposit, beginning where the channel enters a crater. This is suggestive of a delta: a deposit that forms when water in a channel flows into a larger area (such as an ocean or a lake). As the water spreads out, it moves slower and drops the sediment that it is carrying, forming the delta. (E.g., a famous Earth example is the Nile River delta.)

 

Image cutout is less than 5 km (3 mi) top to bottom and the spacecraft altitude was 292 km (182 mi) and north is to the right. For full observation details including images with scale bars, visit the source link.

 

www.uahirise.org/ESP_024887_2155

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

 

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Uploaded on March 5, 2025