Science and Exploration

How Old Are Martian Gullies?

By Keith Cowing
Press Release
March 6, 2022
Filed under ,
How Old Are Martian Gullies?
Martian Gullies
NASA/HiRISE

Gullies eroded into the steep inner slope of an impact crater at this location appear perfectly pristine.
Although at first glance it may appear that there are craters superimposed on the gully fans, inspection of HiRISE stereo coverage shows that the craters lie only on the pre-gully terrain.

Distinctive colors in the gully channels and alcoves offer another indication of youth and recent activity. The pre-gully landscape is covered by secondary craters from nearby Gasa Crater, estimated to be about 1 million years old. Although some have suggested that the Martian gullies are also about a million years old and formed in a different environment, we now know that they are continuing to form today.

ID: PSP_002293_1450
date: 22 January 2007
altitude: 253 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/PSP_002293_1450
NASA/JPL/UArizona

SpaceRef co-founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.