NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Troughs and Flows

Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-855, 20 September 2004

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
image shows troughs and a pit chain (on the floor of
the deeper trough) located immediately northeast of
the giant Tharsis Volcano, Arsia Mons. Lava flows have
been cut by these troughs, which formed along fault
lines when the crust expanded and rock between the
fault lines was raised up or dropped down relative
to its original position. Troughs formed in this
way are known as graben. This image is located
near 7.1°S, 115.0°W. The scene
covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) across
and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.

Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology
built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission.
MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, California.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars Surveyor Operations Project
operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial
partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena,
California and Denver, Colorado.