Huo Hsing Vallis is an ancient river valley in the
Syrtis Major quadrangle of Mars at 30.5° north latitude and 293.4° west longitude. It is about 318 km long and was named after the word for "Mars" in Chinese.
Dikes
Some crater floors in the Syrtis Major area show elongated ridges in a lattice-like pattern. Such patterns are typical of
faults and breccia dikes formed as a result of an impact. The ridges are found where there has been enhanced
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...
. Pictures on this page show examples of these
dikes
Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to:
General uses
* Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian"
* Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment
* Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice
* Dikes ...
. Water may flow along faults. The water often carries minerals that serve to cement rock materials thus making them harder. Later when the whole area undergoes erosion the dikes will remain as ridges because they are more resistant to erosion. This discovery may be of great importance for future colonization of Mars because these types of faults and breccia dikes on earth are associated with key mineral resources. Perhaps, when people live on Mars these areas will be mined as they are on earth.
[Head, J. and J. Mustard. 2006. Breccia Dikes and Crater-Related Faults in Impact Craters on Mars: Erosion and Exposure on the Floor of a 75-km Diameter Crater at the Dichotomy Boundary. In Special Issue on Role of Volatiles and Atmospheres on Martian Impact Craters Meteoritics & Planetary Science.] These ridges may belong to a class of structures that have been called
linear ridge networks. There exact origin is unknown at present.
Image:Huo Hsing Vallis Ridges.JPG, Huo Hsing Vallis Ridges, as seen by HiRISE
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is a camera on board the '' Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006. The 65 kg (143 lb), US$40 million instrument was built under the direction ...
. Ridges may be caused by water moving along faults.
References
Valleys and canyons on Mars
Syrtis Major quadrangle
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