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Aram and Iani Chaos

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the large, circular feature Aram Chaos, an ancient impact crater on Mars filled with layered sedimentary rock that was later disrupted and eroded to form a blocky, 'chaotic' appearance.
PIA04485
Credits: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
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Description

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-344, 28 April 2003

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image mosaic was constructed from data acquired by the MOC red wide angle camera. The large, circular feature in the upper left is Aram Chaos, an ancient impact crater filled with layered sedimentary rock that was later disrupted and eroded to form a blocky, "chaotic" appearance. To the southeast of Aram Chaos, in the lower right of this picture, is Iani Chaos. The light-toned patches amid the large blocks of Iani Chaos are known from higher-resolution MOC images to be layered, sedimentary rock outcrops. The picture center is near 0.5°N, 20°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left/upper left.