Newly released images from the European Space Agency (ESA) provide a detailed view of a 600-kilometer-long (373-mile-long) feature on Mars known as Aganippe Fossa. Mars is characterized by numerous scars and grooves, and Aganippe Fossa, a type of “graben,” is one of these significant geological formations.
A story of Ice 🧊 and fire 🔥
These images, based on data from DLR’s #HRSC, show Aganippe Fossa at the foot of the Arsia Mons volcano on Mars. Visible in them is evidence of the extremes that shaped this region marked by both lava flows and ice deposits. pic.twitter.com/feWgdHlOjO— DLR – English (@DLR_en) July 4, 2024
Graben are typically ditch-like structures with steep walls formed by the stretching and cracking of a planet’s crust. According to ESA officials, it is believed that Aganippe Fossa was created when magma rising beneath the massive Tharsis volcanoes caused Mars’s crust to stretch and break apart. However, the exact timing and process of its formation remain uncertain.
The name “Aganippe Fossa” is derived from classical mythology. Aganippe, a nymph and daughter of the river Termessos, was associated with a spring at the base of Mount Helicon in Greece. Reflecting this mythological heritage, Aganippe Fossa is located near the base of one of Mars’ largest volcanoes, Arsia Mons. The term “Fossa” comes from Latin, meaning ditch or trench, referring to the long, narrow depressions found on planetary surfaces.
The recent high-resolution images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express, Europe’s inaugural mission to Mars, which has been orbiting the planet since 2003. Although its lander, Beagle 2, was lost, the orbiter has continued to perform a comprehensive investigation of Mars. It studies the planet’s minerals, atmosphere, subsurface, and moons, Phobos and Deimos.
This is Aganippe Fossa, a dark, uneven scar slicing through the terrain at the foot of a giant volcano on Mars, seen in this new image from ESA’s #MarsExpress. pic.twitter.com/yQiqRFc2Z8
— ᑕOՏᗰIᑕ ᗰᗴՏՏᗴᑎᘜᗴᖇ ≈ 𝕃𝕦𝕚𝕤 𝔸𝕝𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕠⁷ ∞∃⊍ (@LuisADomDaly) July 5, 2024
Mars Express used its high-resolution stereo camera to capture the new images, revealing Mars’ varied surface features. The detailed images show a mix of clustered, uneven hills known as hummocky terrains and smooth, sloping cliffs covered in debris, referred to as lobate terrains.
These terrains are part of Arsia Mons’s ring-shaped “aureole,” a 100,000-square-kilometer (38,610-square-mile) area around the volcano’s base, likely associated with ancient glaciers. According to the ESA, this aureole has developed primarily on the northwestern side of the volcano, probably due to prevailing winds that influenced where ice settled over time.
The region also displays dynamics of windblown dust and sand, creating distinctive “zebra-like” patterns as darker materials are deposited on lighter surfaces. Additionally, the surface shows evidence of lava flows from the time when Arsia Mons was active.
Aganippe Fossa is among many classical albedo features on Mars, which are light and dark surface features visible even through Earth-based telescopes. The use of space-based orbiters like Mars Express has provided astronomers with unprecedented views of Mars’ surface and topography.
Wider view of Aganippe Fossa, ‘scar’ on the Mars, deeper than Grand Canyon.
Image Credit:⁰NASA/MGS/MOLA Science Team pic.twitter.com/GZChbbPcu6
— Space Chronicles (@Freed_Electron) July 5, 2024
ESA scientists highlight the significant contributions of the Mars Express mission, stating that it has greatly enhanced our understanding of Mars. The mission has provided a more comprehensive and accurate picture of our planetary neighbor than ever before, advancing our knowledge of Mars’ geological and atmospheric conditions.
Major Points
- New images from the European Space Agency (ESA) show a detailed view of Aganippe Fossa, a 600-kilometer-long feature on Mars.
- Aganippe Fossa, a type of “graben,” was likely formed by magma causing Mars’s crust to stretch and crack near the Tharsis volcanoes.
- The name “Aganippe Fossa” has mythological roots and is located near the base of Mars’ Arsia Mons volcano.
- Captured by ESA’s Mars Express orbiter, the images reveal Mars’ diverse terrains, including hummocky and lobate formations.
- Mars Express has significantly advanced our understanding of Mars by studying its surface, atmosphere, and moons since 2003.
TL Holcomb – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
