This HiRISE image shows enigmatic banded terrain in Hellas Planitia. Hellas is an extremely large, ancient basin formed when an asteroid struck Mars billions of years ago. Good examples of the bands are visible at the northern edge of the image and in the lower left.

The reason for the banded texture is not certain, even with HiRISE resolution. Some of the band material appears to be extremely rich in small boulders about 1 meter across. It appears that the bands form topographic steps in places, likely due to erosion. Alternating strong and weak layers can produce steps like this as they are eroded.

It is not clear how the band material was deposited, but the convoluted appearance may be a product of deformation, coupled with erosion. Distortion in three dimensions, joined with partial erosion of the deposits, can produce complex textures. Further complications may arise because the banded material may be draped over underlying topography.
Written by: Colin Dundas

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.