Unusual Crater Texture On Mars Hints At Early History

This scene from the eastern side of Terra Cimmeria, northeast of the Hellas impact basin, shows many impact craters of different sizes and types of preservation, with a few sharp-looking craters and others with signs of becoming filled in or removed slowly over time.

Looking closer at the largest crater in this image, we notice the folded appearance of the material at the bottom of the crater. Channels from the crater wall appear to be where some of this material is from, but material from the gullies is just falling on top of this older interior deposit.

Some ice-rich deposits within craters can have lines at the surface. Perhaps this crater interior is showing some remains of an older, more extensive icy layer in the region?

Written by: Margaret Landis (18 February 2026)

Astrobiology, Astrogeology,