Basin in the West Candor Chasma Layered Deposits

This basin in Ceti Mensa exposes concentric rings in the sedimentary layers. Dark sand ripples and textures in the bedrock suggesting wind scouring are also apparent.

Wind is a powerful, erosive force, transporting fine-grain sediments that can shape topography and expose darker material underneath the surface. One such feature of wind-scour on Mars is in Gale Crater, where scouring has created a stair-step pattern .

Written by: HIRISE Science Team   (28 August 2013)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_009460_1745 .

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_017741_1745

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona