PIA04559: Masursky Crater
Target Name: Mars
Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun)
Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey
Spacecraft: 2001 Mars Odyssey
Instrument: THEMIS
Product Size: 1423 x 3204 pixels (width x height)
Produced By: Arizona State University
Full-Res TIFF: PIA04559.tif (3.548 MB)
Full-Res JPEG: PIA04559.jpg (579.8 kB)


Original Caption Released with Image:

Released 9 June 2003

The large, tilted blocks in this THEMIS visible image are chaotic terrain in Masursky Crater. Chaotic terrain is thought to occur when subsurface water is suddenly released to the surface, and the resulting loss of ground support causes the surface material to slump and break into blocks. Most of the chaotic terrain on Mars is seen in the vicinity of the large catastrophic outflow channels. Many of the outflow channels actually have chaotic terrain as their source. This chaotic terrain is the source of a small channel that connects to the much larger Tiu Valles.

Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 12, Longitude 327.6 East (32.4 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.



Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Arizona State University

Image Addition Date: