Impact craters larger than a certain size have complex forms, including central peaks or other structures that result from structural uplift of the target material. This provides a mechanism for exposing deep, ancient bedrock.

The enhanced-color cutout shows a great variety of colors and textures in the bedrock, where it is exposed from beneath a dark fine-grained mantle. The mantle is sometimes modified by the wind into dunes.

The bedrock here includes massive, layered, and broken-up (brecciated) areas. This crater is located in the volcanic plains between Argyre Planitia and Valles Marineris.

Written by: Alfred McEwen  (21 December 2011)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_025784_1535.