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The mysterious ridges at the mouth of Tiu Valles 
These images taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board Mars Express show the mouth of the Tiu Valles channel system on the red planet. The pictures were taken in orbit 3103 on 10 June 2006 with a ground resolution of approximately 16 metres per pixel.
The mouth of Tiu Valles is an estuary-like landform. On Earth, an estuary is the tidal mouth of a river valley, or the end that meets the sea and fresh water comes into contact with seawater. In such an area, tidal effects are evident.
Tiu Valles originates in the equatorial chaotic terrains at the mouth, at the eastern end of Valles Marineris. The morphology of this chaotic terrain is dominated by large-scale remnant massifs, which are large relief masses that have been moved and weathered as a block. These are randomly oriented and heavily eroded.
From there, the region extends to the north over a distance of 1500 km before terminating in Chryse Planitia. Along with Kasei Valles and Ares Valles, Tiu Valles is one of the major outflow channels entering the Chryse Planitia plain.
Visible in the lower part of the image are remnants of a once 'streamlined' island. The upper part of the scene covers the mouth of Tiu Valles nearly in its entire width, approximately 55 km.
Its winding, meandering ridges, bound by depressions, are eye-catching. The exact processes that formed these odd structures are unknown. One possibility is that during floods, water or water-rich surface layers came in contact with lava from the surrounding areas, which then might have led to the formation of these mysterious ridges.
For more information on Mars Express HRSC images, please read our updated FAQ (frequently asked questions).
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