NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Crater Wall With Gullies

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-751, 8 June 2004

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows gullies formed in the terraced wall of an impact crater on the floor of a larger crater near 39.1°S, 200.7°W. Gullies such as these are fairly common in craters and depressions at southern middle latitudes. They also occur in some areas at northern middle latitudes and in both polar regions. They may have formed by liquid water, or not–the Mars science community is still debating and discussing the issue. This picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. The scene 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.