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How were martian canyons formed?

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Mars has many canyons and valleys, most of which were caused by the movement of the planet's crust. By examining these canyons and valleys, students gain insight into the processes that created them. read more

The largest canyon, the Valles Marineres is so deep is a "rift valley" like the Grand Canyon or the African Rift Valley. The Mars crust was pulling apart - on its way towards splitting into continents. read more

Mars' great canyon complex, Valles Marineris, dwarfs the size and splendor of Earth's own Grand Canyon. But while geologists have a formed a fairly complete picture of how the Grand Canyon formed, the mechanisms that carved out Valles Marineris and its component canyons have been a longstanding mystery, with explanations ranging from massive floods to tectonic processes like those that cause earthquakes and build mountains on Earth. read more

A paper by Giovanni Leone of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, published in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, suggests that the martian valleys and outflow channels were in fact formed mostly by lava flows, which erupted from the Tharsis plateau in the planet’s distant past. read more

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