Page 35 - (DK) Eyewitness - Mars

Global Surveyor’s view of Mars

On these topographic maps, white indicates the highest terrain, the next Mars, like Earth,
spins on an axis
lower is red, then yellow, green, and blue. Low northern plains, in blue, with poles at
suggest young terrain, perhaps formed by lava flows. Few meteorite craters opposite ends
are visible in this region, but many are evident on older surfaces colored
yellow. The western volcanic region shown in white and red towers over
lower regions in yellow, green, and blue. One map presents a full
hemisphere with the Tharsis Plateau and Valles
Marineris. Two others show 0the
North and South Poles. The Planum Boreum
rectangular map shows the
entire surface of the planet.
Olympus Mons
Volcanoes
of Tharsis Montes

A GLOBAL
TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP
The deep Argyre
Planitia is thought to Canyon
be an “impact crater” of Valles Planum Australe
from a meteorite Marineris
strike. Olympus Mons VIEWS OF THE POLES
and Tharsis Montes are Blue of the lowlands covers the
volcanoes, and Valles northern Planum Boreum, except
Marineris is a canyon. for a bulge at the polar ice cap.
The southern Planum Australe is
rugged terrain, in yellows and
Argyre greens. Its highest point is also
Planitia, at the pole, in red.
a giant
Elevation impact crater
13 miles 21 km

Olympus Alba Patera is the Elysium
Mons largest volcano in total area Mons

9 miles 15 km

6 miles 10 km

0 km
.6 miles -1 km

A FLAT TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP
3 miles -5 km Tharsis Valles Argyre Hellas Planitia With the globe of Mars laid out as if flat, one sees the most
Montes Marineris Planitia lowlands cratering from meteorite strikes on the higher terrain of the
south, such as the Hellas Planitia lowlands, which could also
possibly be an ancient lake. The volcanic Elysium Mons region is
separated from the Tharsis Montes volcanic region and the
5.5 miles -9 km ancient volcano, Alba Patera, by vast plains shown in blue.

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