Acheron Fossae in perspective (1)

This oblique perspective view was generated from the digital terrain model and the nadir and colour channels of the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express. It shows a region of Mars known as Acheron Fossae. The valley on the right shows signs of glacial flow, where ice and rock mixtures flow downhill away from the ridge. The cliffs formed as the planet's crust shifted and stretched, causing chunks of ground to fall away.

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ALT-text: A perspective view of the Acheron Fossae region of Mars

Image description: The image is tan in colour. A bank of rock can be seen in the background, filling the upper fifth of the image. A steep, gnarled cliff-line extends towards the viewer in the centre of the frame, ending in a point, while another sloped cliff can be seen to the right. The ground is smooth and marked with wavy lines (signs of flowing rock) and small circular holes caused by craters.