Water Cup
Posted on Monday 5 January 2004 to Frontiers
This false-color, detailed,
topographical map of the Mars Orbiter Laser
Altimeter data
shows in blue the area an enormous complex
of
lakes that are thought to have existed
over three and a half billion years ago
in the southern highlands of Mars.
As the largest lake spilled over the low point in its boundary
a torrential flood would have moved north, along the direction
indicated by the arrow, carving the sinuous Ma'adim Vallis.
At the north end of Ma'adim Vallis, the flood waters would
have poured into
large,
round Gusev Crater. Standing bodies of surface water are thought to be
favorable for ancient
martian microbial life.
Over the weekend, NASA landed a probe at the bottom of the Gusev Crater.
(adapted from APOD)
