Fact Sheet
Martian Canyons
The ends of two canyons and an old, partially filled impact crater highlight this recent image from Mars Express, a European-built craft that is orbiting Mars. The canyons are he Tithonium Chasma and Ius Chasma. They form part of the Valles Marineris canyon system, which stretches about 3,000 miles across the Martian landscape. The canyons were carved by a combination of flowing water, glaciers, wind, and other process. The dark deposits may be volcanic, or they may be sediments deposited by water. The crater, which also contains some of the dark deposits, is about 75 miles (120 km) in diameter. [Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)]
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