The High-resolution sterio camera continues to take detailed pictures of the Martian surface. Recently, the camera captured the region of Noctis Labrinthus, located on the western edge of the Valles Marineris (the Grand Canyon of Mars). The Noctis Labrinthus is an example of a ‘complex graben-system.’ This type of feature is formed by the action of extensional tectonics. Long ago, intense volcanic activity in the Tharsis region resulted in the creation of a bulge, which strained the tectonic plates. Thus, the surface crust thinned out, forming the graben structure that is visible today. A graben is typically a long, trench-like feature that is bordered by fault lines. (Fracture lines are clearly visible on the photo).
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