ESA’s Mars Express captured detailed images of Ascraeus Mons, Mars’ second-tallest volcano, showing features such as lava flows, pipes, crater chains and large cracks formed by a combination of lava flows, ash and water, as well as underground presence. gaps. Mars has some of the most impressive volcanoes in the solar system. ESA’s Mars Express has now captured an image of the rift-filled rim of the second tallest planet: Mount Askrei.

Ascraeus Mons is the northernmost and tallest of the three major volcanoes located in the Pharsida region of Mars, a volcanic plateau in the western hemisphere of Mars. It is 18 km (11 miles) high, but its slopes are gentle and the average slope is 7 degrees. This slow rise is reflected in the volcano’s massive base diameter of 480 km (300 miles), giving it a footprint roughly the size of Romania on Earth.

This color topographic image shows the southern slopes of Mount Askrei, the second highest volcano on Mars. It is based on the digital topography model of the region from which the topography of the landscape can be obtained. The lower parts of the surface are shown in blue and purple, and the highland areas are shown in white and red as indicated in the upper right scale. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO The height of Mount Askrei is above Mount Olympus, the highest volcano not only on Mars, but in the entire Solar System.

The picture shows the southern lower slope of Ascraeus Mons. There is a sharp height difference from side to side, with the left (south) side of the frame approximately 10 km lower than the right (north) side. The volcano’s summit is located to the right (north) of the frame, as can be seen most clearly on the larger contextual map of the area.

This image shows the region around the Martian volcanoes Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons and Arsia Mons. The area surrounded by the larger white rectangle shows the area imaged by ESA’s Mars Express High Definition Stereo Camera during orbit 24045 on January 15, 2023. The smaller white rectangular insert shows a separate area highlighted by new images from Mars Express. Image credit: NASA/MGS/MOLA Science Team

The image shows such dramatic features, collectively known as Ascraeus Chasmata, covering a large area of ​​collapsed land more than 70 km (44 mi) long: lava flows and pipes, crater chains, channel reefs, and large fissures spanning tens of km long.

These elements, all from different ages and origins, come together to create a scene reminiscent of ink trails artfully dispersed in water or the wonderfully complex root system of a plant digging into the ground.

This annotated image taken by ESA’s Mars Express shows the southern slopes of Mount Askrei, the second highest volcano on Mars. Many key features are marked in the frame, including lava flows, crater chains, channel reefs, and large fissures, all resembling irregular depressions and troughs in the dark brown surface. They have the common name Ascraeus Chasmata and cover more than 70 km of devastated land. This is a “true color” image that represents what the human eye would see by looking at this region of Mars.

To the right of the frame are numerous crumpled lava flows. This crumpled soil then collides with chains of “pit craters”: where a series of circular or near-circular depressions coalesce to form troughs. We see them on Earth as well, as a striking example of the amazing cenotes found on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The troughs and crater chains shown here are also grouped together to create a particularly large and attractive subsidence zone.

This oblique perspective view shows the southern flanks of Mount Askrei, the second highest volcano on Mars. On the surface of Mars, you can see deep, irregular cracks curving in the direction of the camera. They are part of a group of objects known collectively as the Ascraeus Chasmata and covering more than 70 km of devastated terrain. The portion shown here is formed as a series of circular or near-circular depressions that coalesce and coalesce to form troughs, similar to a sinkhole formation, causing the soil to subside.

These chains and grooves form where there are hidden cavities below the surface, causing the soil to become unstable and settle—a bit like a sinkhole. Subterranean cavities are thought to form when the surface layer of a lava flow rapidly cools and hardens; The lava flow from below stops and eventually recedes, leaving pockets of tubular voids hidden several meters below the ground.

The ground to the left of the pit crater chains is marked by what are known as “folding reefs”: smaller, rimless meandering channels often found on the slopes of volcanoes. How they formed is still unclear, but their creation may be related to flows of lava, ash, or water, or a combination of the three.

This oblique perspective view shows the southern flanks of Mount Askrei, the second highest volcano on Mars. From this vantage point, you can see a series of webbing depressions; these are cracks and “joined crater troughs” where rows of circular or near-circular depressions meet and coalesce to form troughs. They are part of a group of features collectively known as the Ascraeus Chasmata, including lava flows and channel-like crevices that cover more than 70 km of landslide area.

Large cracks up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) long dominate the far left of the image. Branches branching off from these cracks are channels (“braided channels”) that intertwine and intertwine, isolating parts of Martian terrain, creating “islands” and terraces. They were likely formed by the action of water—perhaps when snow and ice accumulated on the sides of Ascraeus Mons before it later melted.

Exploration of Mars

Mars Express has orbited the Red Planet since 2003, photographing the surface of Mars, mapping its minerals, determining the composition and circulation of its thin atmosphere, studying its crust, and investigating how various phenomena interact in the Martian environment.

The HRSC orbiter responsible for these new images has revealed a lot about the various features of the Martian surface, with images showing everything from the mighty Valles Marineris canyon system, deep rifts and water-carved valleys to impact craters, tectonic faults, river channels and ancient times. basins benches Many of the Mars Express images show the massive volcanoes of the Red Planet, such as Mount Askrei, a fascinating example.