Iani Chaos is a heavily fractured region that contains a multitude of hummocks or flat-topped mesas thought to be the source of catastrophic floods that formed Ares Valles.

This HiRISE image contains a variety of interesting landforms. There are numerous mounds, an impact crater in the central portion and a scarp or large fracture to the south. The impact crater appears to have a landslide off its rim with lobed-raised margins at its northern extent. This may indicate that the subsurface may have once contained groundwater or ground ice, which lubricated the flow towards the north.

However, winds have subsequently formed numerous dunes on the scarp or fractured floor. These dunes, visible in the lower regions of the landslide and around the perimeter of the mounds, suggest that this region has since been dry for a long time.

Written by: Ginny Gulick  (27 May 2025)


This is a stereo pair with ESP_086891_1790.