Image PSP_002432_1525 samples part of an ancient lava plain in Thaumasia Planum. The stack of lava flows has been folded into ridges the size of a chain of hills, as can be seen in the center of the image.

The lava and the ridge has been degraded by erosion. The numerous craters and dunes attest to two of the erosional processes—meteorite impacts and the wind.
Written by: Maria Banks

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.