THEMIS: Faulting at east end of Hebes Chasma

Fault in east end of Hebes Chasma (themis_iotd_20170822)THEMIS Image of the Day, August 22, 2017. This image shows the eastern portion of Hebes Chasma. The ridge that is casting a shadow at the bottom of the image is likely a large tectonic fault. All of the materials on the floor of the chasma are from the cliff faces. The deposition and erosion of the materials in this image are very different from the those of the large central mesa.

Hebes Chasma is an enclosed basin near to Valles Marineris, though not connected to it. The cliff faces of the chasma itself and the interior mesa appear quite different, which may provide information on how the chasma and the mesa formed. (More on Hebes Chasma here.)

NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions.

Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all.

For the next several months the Image of the Day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images!

More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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