A Fissure and Channel near Pavonis Mons
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
A Fissure and Channel near Pavonis Mons
ESP_086934_1775  Science Theme: Volcanic Processes
This image shows striking features. A linear trough strikes northeast, then abruptly ends (or changes into a narrow ridge). Where the trough ends, a sinuous channel has an east-southeast strike, trending at almost a right angle to the trough. What happened to form these features?

We can speculate that first there was a southwest-to-northeast trending fracture or fault, perhaps associated with a volcanic vent. Groundwater (or some other runny fluid) coursed through the fault until overflowing and forming the sinuous channel. Continued movement through the fault carved a trough up to the overflow point.

Be sure to look at the stereo anaglyph through red-blue glasses.

Written by: Alfred McEwen  (10 July 2025)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_087435_1775.
 
Acquisition date
11 February 2025

Local Mars time
15:02

Latitude (centered)
-2.550°

Longitude (East)
247.559°

Spacecraft altitude
257.1 km (159.8 miles)

Original image scale range
51.9 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~156 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
7.7°

Phase angle
42.6°

Solar incidence angle
49°, with the Sun about 41° above the horizon

Solar longitude
42.7°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  31.5°
JPEG
Black and white
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IRB color
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Merged IRB
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Merged RGB
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RGB color
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JP2
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map-projected   (132MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (78MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
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map-projected  (62MB)
non-map           (125MB)

IRB color
map projected  (21MB)
non-map           (82MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (138MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (124MB)

RGB color
non map           (74MB)
ANAGLYPHS
Map-projected, reduced-resolution
Full resolution JP2 download
Anaglyph details page

BONUS
4K (TIFF)
8K (TIFF)
10K (TIFF)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.