Tag Archives: faulting

THEMIS: Graben in Sirenum Fossae

THEMIS Image of the Day, November 5, 2018. This VIS image shows a section of Sirenum Fossae. The linear features are called graben, and are a sure sign of tension force in the local crust. Graben are formed by blocks … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Possible rock falls on steep slopes

Possible rock falls on steep slopes in Cerberus Fossae. Our goal here is to take “before” images at HiRISE resolution in order to identify fresh rockfalls that might be able to be associated with seismic events or Marsquakes detected by … Continue reading

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THEMIS: High on the east flank of Pavonis Mons

THEMIS Image of the Day, October 11, 2018. This false-color VIS image shows the eastern flank of Pavonis Mons. The darker streaks are created by wind action, and the curving lines are faults produced when the volcano “relaxed” under the … Continue reading

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Searching for signs of marsquakes

Rovers and landers have been studying Mars’s surface for decades, but the inner workings of the Red Planet are still mysterious. No one yet knows for sure what sort of seismic activity rocks the Red Planet. That’s not for lack … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Fault-edged blocks of Sacra Fossae

THEMIS Image of the Day, August 2, 2018. The right angle intersections in this VIS image are some of the graben that form Sacra Fossae. The fossae are located on the margin of Lunae Planum near the beginning of Kasei … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Fractures on Pavonis Mons

Fractures on Pavonis Mons. This observation was suggested by students at the Mars Academy in Brazil. Here is their original rationale: “This “stressed-out” region of the northeastern slopes of Pavonis Mons contains multiple sets of sub-parallel faults, with down-thrown blocks indicating tensional … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Faulting and landslides in Tithonium Chasma

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 28, 2018. This VIS image shows the eastern edge of Tithonium Chasma, one of the large valley systems that comprise Valles Marineris. Large fractures are visible on the upper margin of the chasma. Downward … Continue reading

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How active is Mars seismically? A prediction

The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) mission arrives on Mars in November 2018. In anticipation of its arrival, a group of researchers led by Dr. Ana-Catalina Plesa have focused on the seismic experiments, which aim to … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Big blocky faults in Sacra Fossae

THEMIS Image of the Day, April 19, 2018. Located on the western margin of Lunae Planum, Sacra Fossae is a group of linear depressions. The right angle turns and uniform width seen in this VIS image indicate that these channels … Continue reading

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HiRISE: The fault in our Mars

This image of northern Meridiani Planum shows faults that have disrupted layered deposits. Some of the faults produced a clean break along the layers, displacing and offsetting individual beds (yellow arrow). Interestingly, the layers continue across the fault and appear … Continue reading

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