The “Grandest Canyon” in the Solar System: Mars Express Captures Stunning Images of Massive Martian Canyon



The most recent Mars Express image release shows two cracks in the planet's crust that are a component of the massive Valles Marineris canyon system.

Similar to how the Grand Canyon crosses the United States, Valles Marineris does the same for Mars, but the latter is much smaller. Valles Marineris is amazing, being 4000 km (2500 miles) long, 200 km (125 miles) broad, and up to 7 km (4 miles) deep. Compared to the Grand Canyon, it is over ten times longer, twenty times broader, and five times deeper. It would stretch from the northern point of Norway to the southern tip of Sicily as the biggest canyon system in our solar system.

In relation to Ius and Tithonium Chasmata. Ius and Tithonium Chasmata, which are a feature of Mars' Valles Marineris canyon system, are depicted in this image from the ESA's Mars Express mission. The region photographed by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera on April 21, 2022, during orbit 23123, is delineated by the bold white box. NASA, MGS, and MOLA Science Team

Another notable distinction between the two is that, whereas the Grand Canyon was produced by the Colorado River eroding rock, Valles Marineris is assumed to have developed by the drifting apart of tectonic plates.

Two trenches (or chasms), which are a component of western Valles Marineris, are seen in the header picture of this page. The 840 km (522 miles) long Ius Chasma is on the left, while the 805 km (500 miles) long Tithonium Chasma is on the right. The surface detail in these high-resolution photographs is astounding, but it isn't until we see an elevation map that we understand just how deep the chasmata actually are—up to 7 km (4 miles)! Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps at 4809 meters (15,777 feet), would be dwarfed if it were placed inside Tithonium Chasma.

An area of black sand near the summit of Tithonium Chasma provides visual contrast. It's possible that this sand originated in the surrounding Tharsis volcanic zone.

Two light-colored mounds may be seen next to the black sand dunes (one cut in half by the upper image border). These so-called "mounds" rise more than 3000 meters (10,000 ft) in height, more like mountains than mounds. Strong winds on Mars have severely damaged their surfaces, proving that they are formed of a weaker substance than the nearby rock.

View from above of Tithonium Chasma. The digital terrain model and the nadir and color channels of the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA's Mars Express were used to create this oblique perspective image of Tithonium Chasmata, which is a component of the Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO, ESA/DLR/FU Berlin

The second viewpoint view reveals a sequence of tiny bumps between the two mounds. Water-bearing sulfate minerals have been discovered in this area by Mars Express investigations. This implies that the liquid that previously filled the chasma may have evaporated, leading to the formation of these bumps, but this view is still strongly contested.

We can observe parallel lines and mounds of debris that point to a recent landslide to the lower right of the mound that we can see completely (upper right in the second viewpoint picture). The topographical picture below shows this as a sizable purple region as well. Because the canyon wall on the right was not severely worn, it collapsed, causing the landslide, which is thought to have occurred lately.

Ius Chasma's gnarled floor is very remarkable. Jagged triangles of rock that resemble a row of shark teeth have been formed as tectonic plates have separated. These rock formations have deteriorated and crumbled over time.

Ius Chasma's gnarled floor is very remarkable. Jagged triangles of rock that resemble a row of shark teeth have been formed as tectonic plates have separated. These rock formations have deteriorated and crumbled over time.

Since its launch in 2003, Mars Express has been circling the Red Planet, taking pictures of its surface, charting its minerals, determining the makeup and circulation of its flimsy atmosphere, penetrating under its crust, and investigating how diverse phenomena interact on Mars.

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