NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Heavily Cratered Surfaces

Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-898, 2 November 2004

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

When it comes to planetary surfaces, the more craters
there are, the older the terrain is believed to be. However,
because the martian surface has experienced considerable
episodes of erosion as well as burial of craters, a
surface covered with many small craters on Mars is often
one that is more resistant to erosion, not necessarily
one that is older than a less-cratered surface.
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
image shows an example of an extremely cratered surface.
This can be contrasted with nearly any of the exposures
of martian sedimentary rock, which are very old but do not
retain as many craters because they are more easily eroded.
Hundreds of examples of martian sedimentary rock outcrops
are listed in the
MOC Captioned Release, Sedimentary Rocks gallery.
This image is located near 33.6°S, 204.7°W.
The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide.
Sunlight illuminates the scene 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.