This image shows an eroded mesa made up of rhythmically layered bedrock that seems to indicate cyclic deposition. The layers are accentuated by recent dark sand deposits that have accumulated on the benches of the brighter sediments. The plateau is topped by a younger set of layers that appear to be finer and less blocky than the older layers below, suggesting a different depositional environment. Similar layered sediments are found in nearby craters in southwestern Arabia Terra.
Dark
Light
This un-named crater in southwestern Arabia Terra contains a treasure!
Layered sediments are the key to the puzzle of Martian history. They tell us about the conditions that existed when the sediments were deposited, and how they changed over time.
Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://www.uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_059289_1890
Related Posts
A Tale of Collapse Terrain
North of Ganges Chasma lies Orson Welles Crater, whose floor contains broken up blocks we call chaotic terrain and which is the source for the major outflow channel Shalbatana Vallis.
Layers in a Phlegra Montes Impact Crater
The objective of this observation is to examine at least two layers that are exposed in the wall of an impact crater that’s less than 5 km across.
An Impact Crater within Nanedi Valles
With this image, we can cross-dating the relative age of the impact with that of the valley system, as well as learning more about the fluvial and morphology characteristics of area.
Crater Slopes: The Power of a Repeat Image
Why does HiRISE take so many repeat images of the same area? Repeat coverage actually serves a special…