Distinctive structures appear on the floor of Candor Chasma, a major canyon of Valles Marineris on Mars. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera (HiRISE) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft obtained this image.

The rocks along the floor of the chasma consist of multiple layers of light-toned material, possibly windblown or water-lain sediment. These layers have been shifted along faults and folded, giving the layers a wavy appearance on the surface, being exposed through erosion.

Some waviness in the layers may have also formed in the laying-down of these sediments, perhaps in dunes or large ripples. Further mapping of these faults and folds is required to reveal the origin of these layered deposits, and determine if water played any role in their formation.

--NASA/JPL/University of Arizona and SPACE.com Staff

Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona