Heavily eroded craters in Chryse Planitia
Heavily eroded craters in Chryse Planitia
Below the Martian highlands of Arabia Terra in the Mawrth Vallis outflow, the remains of two ancient, interconnected impact craters, 35 kilometres in diameter (foreground) and 75 kilometres in diameter, can be seen. The crater rims, once several kilometres high, are heavily eroded. The interiors of the craters are filled almost to the top with sediments. Towards the transition to the Martian highlands (background of the image), the inner walls of the crater are covered with light-coloured clay minerals typical of the Mawrth Vallis region.