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Nanedi Valles system on Mars   Nanedi Valles, a roughly 800-kilometre valley extending southwest-northeast and lying in the region of Xanthe Terra, southwest of Chryse Planitia. In this view, Nanedi Valles ranges from approximately 0.8- to 5.0-kilometre wide and extends to a maximum of about 500 metres below the surrounding plains. This valley is relatively flat-floored and steep-sloped, and exhibits meanders and a merging of two branches in the north. The valley's origins remain unclear, with scientists debating whether erosion caused by ground-water outflow, flow of liquid beneath an ice cover or collapse of the surface in association with liquid flow is responsible. Image captured by the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard ESA's Mars Express on 3 October 2004 during orbit 905. North is to the right.  Nanedi Valles lies at approximately 6.0° North and 312° East in the region of Xanthe Terra, southwest of Chryse Planitia and north of the Orson Welles and Da Vinci crater features. It is roughly 800 kilometre long. While scientific debate continues, it seems likely that some sort of continuous flow rather than a single flooding event helped create the valley.  In this rotated view, the two arms of the Nanedi Valles valley can be clearly seen merging at right (to the north). The deepest portion of the valley drops to 500 metres below the surrounding surface. By studying Nanedi Valles, scientists hope to better understand the climatic evolution of the Red Planet.  The High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard ESA's Mars Express captured this image on 3 October 2004. The stereo and colour capabilities of the HRSC camera allows for improved study of the planet's morphology. North is to the right. Release date: 27 July 2006 |