NASA Mars Odyssey THEMIS Image: A Suite of Features

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Context image credit: NASA/Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Team
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The southern flank of the massive Pavonis Mons volcano hosts a remarkable concentration of channels, pit chains, and graben. The deep channels likely began as subsurface lava tubes whose roofs collapsed as pits developed over them. Examples of this process are clearly evident throughout the scene. Also present are relatively straight troughs (graben) that crosscut the channels and pit chains. These arise from the tectonic forces associated with construction of the massive volcano. Lava channels and flow textures are evident on the uppermost surfaces.

[Source: ASU THEMIS Science Team]

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA’s Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Arizona State University