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Extraterrestrial landslidesValleys and canyons on Mars

Valles Marineris

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A stunning view of Valles Marineris, the grandest canyon in our solar system, located on the planet Mars.

Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars

Valles Marineris is a gigantic canyon on the planet Mars. It is the largest canyon we know of in our whole Solar System! This amazing canyon was first seen by the Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1971–72, and that is how it got its name.

This huge canyon stretches for more than 4,000 kilometers, which is about a quarter of the way around Mars. It can be as deep as 7 kilometers—imagine how tall that is! Valles Marineris runs along the middle of Mars, just east of a big, bumpy area called Tharsis.

Scientists believe Valles Marineris began as a big crack in Mars's surface. Over time, wind, water, or even lava from nearby volcanoes might have made the canyon even wider and deeper. Studying this canyon helps us learn more about the history and geology of Mars.

Parts of Valles Marineris

Valles Marineris has many sections with special names, such as Noctis Labyrinthus, Tithonium, Ius, Melas, Candor, Ophir, Coprates Chasma, Ganges, Capri, and Eos. It finally ends in a flat area called Chryse Planitia.

The canyon looks similar to Earth's Grand Canyon but is much, much bigger. It is a wonderful place for scientists to explore and understand the red planet, Mars!

Images

A colorful map of Mars showing the huge Valles Marineris canyon and its surrounding outflow channels, created using data from NASA's Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter.
A detailed view of Valles Marineris, a massive canyon system on Mars, as captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
A colorful view of Mars showing bright water ice clouds in the Noctis Labyrinthus region, a vast canyon system on the red planet.
A colorful view of the Ius Chasma canyon on Mars, part of the Valles Marineris system, showing the planet's dramatic landscapes.
A colorful view of Ophir Chasma on Mars, part of the massive Valles Marineris canyon system, captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
A colorful image of Mars showing landslide deposits meeting in a canyon, part of the huge Valles Marineris system.
A stunning view of Martian terrain in Ganges Chasma, showing layers formed by ancient lava flows and windblown dust.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Valles Marineris, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.

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