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Sunday, July 22, 2012

Mars Express reveals complex geological history of Mars


The probe photographed last April Melas Dorsa, a volcanic region south of Valles Marineris canyon.
Captured wrinkle ridges, some faults that cross and surrounded by an elliptical crater ejects butterfly-shaped, with the appearance of being liquid.


The Mars Express space probe has discovered a wide range of tectonic features and their impact in a volcanic region of Mars reveals that the planet has "a complex geological history."

The probe photographed last April Melas Dorsa, a volcanic region south of Valles Marineris canyon located between the regions and Thaumasia Sinai Plana, reported the European Space Agency (ESA) in a statement.

The image captured wrinkle ridges, some faults that cross and surrounded by an elliptical crater ejects as a butterfly appearance of being liquid.

According to experts, the elliptical craters formed when asteroids or comets hit the planet's surface at a shallow angle.

In addition, the scientists explained that ejects surrounding the crater of Melas Dorsa indicates the presence of subsurface ice that melted during the impact.

The image also captured the edge of another large crater that seems to have been buried for the most part during a distant era of volcanic dust and ash, which contains concentric deposits, could provide clues to the composition of this material.

The crater is surrounded by several wrinkles that formed when horizontal compression forces the crust pushed upwards.

The image taken by Mars Express demonstrates that Melas Dorsa region originated from different tectonic phases.

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