HiRISE: Light-toned materials on the floor of Coprates Chasma

PSP_003513_1665These enhanced-color views are part of the floor of Coprates Chasma in giant Valles Marineris. A single image area (only about 1.1 by 9 kilometers) shows a tremendous variety of rock types, as indicated by their colors and textures.

These areas include ancient (more than 3 billion year-old) fractured and faulted blocks of bedrock (mostly lighter-toned areas with a range of colors, plus some dark blue areas), overlain in places by younger sediments deposited by wind and water (smoother image areas). [More at link]

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