Candor Chasma is one of the largest
canyons in the
Valles Marineris
Valles Marineris (; Latin for ''Mariner program, Mariner Valleys'', named after the Mariner 9 Mars orbiter of 1971–72 which discovered it) is a system of canyons that runs along the Mars, Martian surface east of the Tharsis region. At more than ...
canyon system on
Mars. The feature is geographically divided into two halves: East and West Candor Chasmas, respectively. It is unclear how the canyon originally formed; one theory is that it was expanded and deepened by tectonic processes similar to a
graben, while another suggests that it was formed by subsurface water erosion similar to a
karst.
MRO discovered sulfates, hydrated sulfates, and iron oxides in Candor Chasma.
One of the pictures below shows branched channels. Many places on Mars show channels of different sizes. Many of these channels probably carried water, at least for a time. The climate of Mars may have been such in the past that water ran on its surface. It has been known for some time that Mars undergoes many large changes in its tilt or obliquity because its two small moons lack the gravity to stabilize it, as the Moon stabilizes Earth; at times the tilt of Mars has even been greater than 80 degrees
[Laskar, J., A. Correia, M. Gastineau, F. Joutel, B. Levrard, and P. Robutel. 2004. "Long term evolution and chaotic diffusion of the insolation quantities of Mars". ''Icarus'' 170, 343-364.]
Gallery
Image:Candor Chasma region of Valles Marineris, Mars.jpg, Tectonic fractures in Candor Chasma as seen by HiRISE
Image:Candor Channels.jpg, Channels in Candor plateau, as seen by HiRISE. Location is Coprates quadrangle. Click on image to see many small, branched channels which are strong evidence for sustained precipitation.
File:Wide view of layers in candor ESP 074432 1735.jpg, Wide view of layers in Candor, as seen by HiRISE. This picture was named HiRISE picture of the day for November 9, 2023.
File:Layers in Candor, ESP 074432 1735-2.jpg, Close view of layers in Candor. Image has been processed in color to bring out more detail. It was named HiRISE picture of the day for November 9, 2023.
See also
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Chasma
In planetary nomenclature, a chasma (''plural'': chasmata ) is a deep, elongated, steep-sided Depression (geology), depression. As of 2020, the International Astronomical Union, IAU has named 122 such features in the Solar System, on Venus (63), ...
References
External links
HiRISE observation of tectonic fractures
at an altitude of 100 meters by Adrian Lark and Mars3D.com; se
album
for more
*High resolutio
flyover video
by Seán Doran of layered terrain in southwest Candor Chasma, an
morevideos
of Ceti Mensa, based on NASA digital terrain models; se
album
for more
Flyover video
of Ceti Mensa and west Candor Chasma by Carter Emmart; se
album
for more
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Valleys and canyons on Mars
Coprates quadrangle
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