Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU

Context image credit: NASA/JPL/MOLA
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Large grooves indicating tectonic faulting cross this image from the upper right to the lower left. This image is located not too far south of the Tharsis Montes, which probably produced the faulting seen here as they erupted and uplifted the terrain. Many craters are apparent on the surface here, some of which have impacted on the grabens (grooves), indi- cating that they are younger than the faults. The crater in the center of the image appears to have been breached, allowing material (perhaps a mudslide) to spill to the west. Could this flow be caused by an earthquake that occurred when the faults moved, or did it happen much later?