The Libya Montes valley on Mars

Libya Montes valley region on Mars

	Map showing location of Libya Montes in context

The central parts of the broad valley show traces of an interior valley, documenting the flow of water that once occurred on the surface of the planet during periods of wetter climate.
 
 

An animated look at Libya Montes

Determinations of discharge volumes on the basis of high-resolution HRSC-derived digital terrain models reveal discharge rates comparable to those of the middle reaches of the USA's Mississippi river.

Baesd on crater-size frequency distributions on the valley floor and surrounding terrain it has been shown that the formation time of the valley is about 350 million years.
 
 

	Libya Montes valley region on Mars, perspective view

Measurements of erosion rates suggest that the active phases of valley development are characterised by short periods of intense fluvial activity rather than sustained liquid flow.

Details on valley formation have been published by R. Jaumann (DLR) and colleagues, as an article ‘Constraints on fluvial erosion by measurements of the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera’ in Geophysical Research Letters, 32, L16203, doi:10.1029/2005GL023415).
 
 

3D anaglyph view of Libya Montes valley region

The colour scenes were derived from the three HRSC colour channels and the nadir channel. The perspective views have been calculated from the digital terrain model derived from the stereo channels.

The 3D anaglyph image was calculated from the nadir and one stereo channel. The black and white high-resolution images were derived from the nadir channel that provides the highest detail of all the channels. Image resolution has been decreased for use on the internet.
 
 

Perspective view of Libya Montes valley, looking east

For more information on Mars Express HRSC images, you might like to read our updated 'Frequently Asked Questions'.
 
 

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