From NASA's Planetary Photojournal
This is a color image of Valles Marineris, the great canyon of Mars with north towards the top. The entire canyon system, over 3,000 km long and averaging 8 km deep, extends from Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate system of graben to the west, to the chaotic terrain to the east. This image is a composite of Viking medium-resolution images in black and white and low-resolution images in color; Mercator projection. The image extends from latitude 0 degrees to 20 degrees S. and from longitude 45 degrees to 102.5 degrees.
The connected chasma or valleys of Valles Marineris may have formed from a combination of erosional collapse and structural activity. Layers of material in the eastern canyons might consist of carbonates deposited in ancient lakes. Huge ancient river channels began from Valles Marineris and from adjacent canyons and ran north. Many of the channels flowed north into Chryse Basin.
Image Title: Valles Marineris
Catalog #: PIA00422
Target Name: Mars
Spacecraft: Viking
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Last Modified On: Sunday, December 17, 2000