Friday, September 20, 2013

Sinuous Ridge in Medusae Fossae


At this location is an exceptionally long sinuous ridge, possibly an inverted fluvial feature, that cuts across newly mapped geologic units of the Medusae Fossae Formation.

In the eastern part of the image, the sinuous ridge appears in a manner that suggests erosion of the surrounding landscape. Interestingly, this fluvial feature has no elevation within and to the west location, indicating that fluvial activity may have occurred within this material before widespread erosion.

With HiRISE resolution, we might be able to have more information on the timing of fluvial activity and its relationship to the history of the Medusa Fossae formation.

Photo credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Note: For more information, see PIA17574: Sinuous Ridge Cutting Across Geologic Units of the Medusae Fossae Formation.

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