The High-Resolution Sterio Camera (HRSC) on board the Mars Express recently imaged the Noctis Labrinthus region. In the image above, the sun illuminates the image from the north-west. This area is located on the western edge of the Valles Marineris, the ‘Grand Canyon’ of Mars. Its name comes from the twisting, labyrinthine fractures and geography of the region. The Noctis Labrinthus is a complex example of a geological feature called a graben. This graben was formed by extensional tectonics and intense volcanic activity in the Tharsis region resulting in tectonic stress. The scene in the picture illustrates the intensely eroded 5000m deep incisions. Younger rock formations are visible on the upper edge of the graben. This image was also produced using a digital terrain model derived from the sterio channels of Mars Express.
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