The European Mars Express probe has sent back sharp photos of a series of labyrinthine trenches on the Martian surface, dubbed the Noctis Labyrinthus (Labyrinth of the Night), that bring to mind a trip through the American Badlands. Or maybe a well-designed video game.
The pictures depict a region on the western edge of the Valles Marineris, sometimes known as the 'Grand Canyon' of Mars. But unlike the Earth's Grand Canyon, this region's features are due primarily to volcanic activity, not the eroding effects of a river.
At some point in the distant past, volcanic pressure forced the crust of this region to bulge slightly, scientists say. The crust thinned somewhat, forming these trench-like features, bounded by faults. Since that time, however, significant erosion has taken place, and the rock formations at the upper edges show the effects of weathering and time.
The first picture, above, was taken by the High-Resolution Stereo
Camera (HRSC) on board the Mars Express. The second (below) shows a larger view of the region where the photo was taken. The third (bottom) is a perspective view, created from the digital terrain model derived from the HRSC's stereo data.
Noctis Labyrinthus, labyrinth of the night [ESA press release]
(Images: Noctis Layrinthus, as seen by the Mars Express. Credit: One:
ESA/ DLR/ FU Berlin (G. Neukum); Two:FU Berlin/ MOLA; Three: ESA/ DLR/
FU Berlin (G. Neukum))
