This mosaic of two MOC images (E09-02399 and E10-04497) shows the northern wall and floor of a 16.7 km diameter crater near Newton Basin in the southern hemisphere of Mars, centered at -43.5 degrees S and 161.9 degrees W. PSI's Dan Berman has been investigating the role of water and ice flow in the degradation of craters on Mars, exemplified in this image. Typical martian gullies can be seen flowing down the wall of the crater, ending in sharp, tongue-shaped ridges. These ridges may be the result of the flow of ice-rich materials on the crater floor. The feature labeled "a" is the main tongue-shaped ridge. The ridge is about half as wide as it is long, is concave, has a smooth floor, and a sharp rim. Feature "b" is a less sinuous ridge extending beyond the primary ridge, possibly the remnant of an older ridge from a flow that has since receded. The feature labeled "c" looks like a viscous flow feature extending directly into the floor from a tongue ridge or a region of tongue ridges.

Mosaic by Dan Berman. MOC images credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems.