This observation shows a portion of the Gale Crater floor. Gale Crater is approximately 150 kilometers in diameter, located in Elysium Planitia, sitting near the dichotomy boundary between the Martian southern highlands and northern lowlands.

The subimage shows several light-toned layers (952 x 955; 1 MB). The origin of the sediments composing the layers is unknown and could have included deposition in an ancient flood or lake or the deposition of windblown particles such as dust or volcanic ash. The relatively uniform character of the layers and the manner of erosion suggests that the sediments are fine-grained.

The paucity of impact craters indicates that the layered deposits are either very young or that erosion has removed evidence of past cratering. Wind erosion, in particular, has modified the layers creating relatively sharp edges and rounded depressions. In general, the fact that layers are found on isolated mounds indicates that some process has eroded an originally more extensive, layered deposit. Large dunes are also visible in the lower portion of the subimage.
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.