Strange 'Claw Marks' on Martian Surface Spotted By ESA¡¯s Mars Orbiter
The scratches were observed in Tantalus Fossae -- a gargantuan fault system on Mars.
ESA¡¯s Mars Express orbiter has revealed an undiscovered characteristic of the geology of Mars in never-before-seen clarity. The surface appears to have developed giant scratch marks across its surface.
ESA
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The scratches were observed in Tantalus Fossae -- a gargantuan fault system on Mars. ESA said in a statement, ¡°This area is named after Tantalus, a son of Zeus and Plouto who, according to Greek legend, betrayed the gods and was forced by Hades to stand in the water beneath a fruit tree. When he tried to drink the water retreated, and when he tried to eat the branches moved beyond his reach ¨C a punishment known as the torments of Tantalus.¡±
The scratches are massive in size -- around 1,148 feet deep and around 10 kilometres wide. This also stretches for around 1,000 kilometres. It is situated along the eastern slope of Alba Mons -- a large low-relief Martian volcano.
As the summit rose in its size, it distorted and shattered the surface surrounding it, giving birth to the fossae -- meaning a hollow or depression.
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ESA
The faults are regarded as a good example of a surface type dubbed graben. Essentially, each trench formed when two parallel faults broke. This allowed the rock in them to slip down into the void. This image highlights a bunch of grabens.
The camera that captured the images was the High-resolution Stereo Camera on ESA¡¯s Mars Express. The image has been captured in true colour which means that it shows us the surface the way a human would see it, on the red planet.
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