Mars Orbital Recon: Coprates Chasma Within Valles Marineris

This image of Coprates Chasma shows the deepest part of the giant Valles Marineris canyon system, more than 7 kilometers below the nearest rim and 11 kilometers beneath the surrounding plateau.

Here we see a section of a crater, 8 km in diameter, that exposes light toned layered sediments in the wall, which are fractured and faulted, perhaps as a result of the impact.

Based on nearby CRISM spectral measurements, the layered sediments are probably made up of clays such as smectites, but carbonates, sulfates and chlorite have also been detected in this region.

All of these minerals suggest that water was involved in the formation of these sediments, which may have been deposited in ancient aqueous environments like lakes, or may have been altered by fluids flowing through the sediments sometime after deposition.

Written by: Paul Geissler (17 December 2025)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_088633_1655.

Astrobiology, Astrogeology,