This HiRISE image samples the plains between the large shelf volcanoes in the Tharsis region of Mars.

The long scarps in the area have been formed by faults as the ground was pulled apart. The large circular depression on the edge of the image is a giant collapse pit that appears to be related to the opening up of crust.

If you look at this image carefully, much of the plains appears blurry, as if the picture was out of focus. But HiRISE remains in perfect focus and it is Mars that is actually this blurry. Soft wind-blown dust mutes all the features in the area to create this effect.
Written by: Laszlo P. Keszthelyi

All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible: Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona. The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey’s ISIS3 software.