The worlds of the solar system beyond Earth have amazing surface properties. Thanks to planetary science missions, we see images of canyons, craters and cliffs across different worlds. One day these places will bring new challenges to climbers and hikers. Mars in particular will be a popular destination. Prospective hikers and climbers will have plenty to choose from, even if they have to don spacesuits to enjoy it. For example, there is the Valles Marineris canyon area. It is the largest known such feature in the solar system, many times larger than the Grand Canyon here on Earth. The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter has just returned breathtaking images of this rift canyon.
Images of Mars and Mars Express
The latest view from Mars Express focused on two trenches – called “chasma” – in the western part of Valles Marineris. They are IusChasma and TithoniumChasma, the deepest parts of the canyons. The whole system looks complicated and complicated. This is because it was formed from tectonic activity instead of the erosion that created the Grand Canyon. Think of it as a crack in the bark. It probably formed as infant Mars cooled. The region was also affected by changes in the crust of the Tharsis region to the west. Then, as the chasm widened, erosion took over. These processes created the canyon system we see today. It is a giant set of canyons 4000 km long, 200 km wide and in places up to 7 km deep.
The Mars Express orbiter has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2003. Its main task is to photograph and map the surface and minerals. It sends back data about the atmosphere and can probe below the crust. The spacecraft uses the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) to produce detailed images of the surface. Through this camera, planetary scientists have seen spectacular views of everything from wind-sculpted ridges and ridges to impact craters and channels that once carried liquid water. They also studied volcanoes, tectonic faults, river channels and ancient lava lakes.
Spinoffs of planetary exploration
Missions like Mars Express, Voyager, Dawn, and others reveal spectacular landscapes across the solar system. They are sent to provide planetary scientists with a detailed view of distant worlds. The pictures they send are evocative and inspiring. It may be a while before anyone makes a trip to these places, but the pictures certainly inspire dreams of individual exploration.
Hiking in the Martian Canyons
Images of the Martian surface terrain from Mars Express and other missions inspire dreams of exploration. For the brave, they also recommend longer walking tours around the Red Planet. So imagine, for example, walking to the edge of the Tithonium Chasma and looking down into the canyon. It is large and deep enough to overshadow some of Earth’s tallest mountains. And it won’t be an easy walk. At the top of Tithonium are deposits of dark material that could be blown volcanic sand from the west. After clearing them, you’ll cross a pair of 3,000-meter-high mountains that have been eroded by Martian winds. The descent continues through areas that may have once been flooded with some liquid. And of course there are landslide areas and other rough terrain to get through before you get to the bottom.
In IusChasma it is no easier, as it is possible to overcome the rough slopes. However, once you get to the bottom of the canyon, there are plenty of rock formations to explore. It will be many years before recreational tourism is available on Mars. Maybe by then the geologists created trails will make it easier. For now, though, the primary reason for the investigation is science. Both of these canyons offer clues to Mars’ geologic past, showing evidence of tectonic activity, volcanism, and wind erosion and deposition. These processes lead to giant “cracks” that divide the surface. They also deposit sands over the surface and create layered rock deposits.
Superlatives in other places
If canyoneering isn’t your thing, there’s always Olympus Mons to consider. It is the highest mountain in the solar system, rising almost 22 kilometers above the surrounding Martian landscape. Skiers would love this mountain (if there was enough snow) because it would be a really long run from the caldera to the base. Of course it would be a rough run. This thing is a shield volcano, and thousands of eruptions have shaped and carved the landscape. They give way to a rather steep cliff that descends for 8 kilometers.Speaking of cliffs, the tallest one in the solar system isn’t on Mars. It is actually on the moon Miranda, which orbits distant Uranus. This huge cliff is called Verona Rupes and rises more than 20 kilometers above the surface.
The folks at NASA calculated that in Miranda’s low gravity, someone jumping from the top (probably with airbag protection) would have a 12-minute ride down. They would reach a top speed of about 200 kilometers per hour. Assuming they survived, the Verona Rupes jumpers had a wonderful thrill ride. To top it off, planet 4 Vesta boasts a Rheasilvia crater that measures 500 kilometers in diameter. That’s about 90 percent of Vesta’s average! The crater has a central peak that rises 23 km above the crater floor. To get to the mountain to climb well, you would have to drop down into the crater over the precipice. You would then set off on foot through some fairly rugged countryside to reach the top. The very low surface gravity means it will be a fairly easy hike, albeit a long one.
For more read: https://science.nasa.gov/verona-rupes-tallest-known-cliff-solar-system
