Marte Vallis Explained

Marte Vallis
Coordinates:	15°N -176.5°W

Marte Vallis is a valley in the Amazonis quadrangle of Mars, located at 15 North and 176.5 West. It is 185 km long and was named for the Spanish word for "Mars".^[1] It has been identified as an outflow channel, carved in the geological past by catastrophic release of water from aquifers beneath the Martian surface.^[2] The surface material is thought to have been created out of 'a'ā and pāhoehoe lava flows from the Elysium volcanic province in the west.^[3]

Marte Vallis is the site of the first discovery of columnar jointing on Mars.^[4] Columnar jointing often forms when basalt lava cools.^[5]

See also

• Columnar jointing
• Geology of Mars
• HiWish program
• HiRISE
• Amazonis quadrangle
• Vallis

Notes and References

1. Web site: Home . planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov.
2. Carr, M.H. (2006), The Surface of Mars. Cambridge Planetary Science Series, Cambridge University Press.
3. Voigt. Joana R. C.. Hamilton. Christopher W.. 2018-07-15. Investigating the volcanic versus aqueous origin of the surficial deposits in Eastern Elysium Planitia, Mars. Icarus. en. 309. 389–410. 10.1016/j.icarus.2018.03.009. 2018Icar..309..389V. 125918565. 0019-1035.
4. Milazzo, M.P., Keszthelyi, L.P., Jaeger, W.L. Rosiek, M., Mattson, S., Verba, C., Beyer, R.A., Geissler, P.E., McEwen, A.S., and the HiRISE Team. (2009) Discovery of columnar jointing on Mars. Geology. 37(2), 171–174. Abstract
5. Bates, R. and J. Jackson (eds.) 1976. Dictionary of Geological Terms. Doubleday, New York.