Perspective view of the southern part of Phlegra Montes from the west
Perspective view of the southern part of Phlegra Montes from the west
Realistic perspective views of the Martian surface can be generated from data acquired by the stereo and colour channels of the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, which are oriented at an angle with respect to the planet's surface.
A valley-shaped depression in Phlegra Montes has been level filled; on the surface of infill, parallel-running flow patterns can be seen. In the foreground, an elongated hill is visible, partially surrounded by similar flow patterns. It is conceivable that rock glaciers – bodies of ice interspersed with boulders and rocky debris – slowly moving across the surface of the planet created these patterns.
Copyright note:
As a joint undertaking by DLR, ESA and FU Berlin, the Mars Express HRSC images are published under a Creative Commons licence since December 2014: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. This licence will also apply to all HRSC images released to date.