This crater just north of Ophir Cavus may have intact layering in its central uplift just as several other Valles Marineris craters do.

Is this a tell-tale sign that the events that built up this area were rapid enough to preserve layers beneath the surface from impact gardening? (This is the process where impacts have “stirred” the outermost crust of a celestial object with no atmosphere. On Mars, there is an atmosphere but it is very thin.) How do these layers compare to what is exposed elsewhere in Valles Marineris?

This caption is based on the science rationale for the observation.

Written by: HiRISE Science Team   (20 April 2011)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_005649_1710 .

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_021551_1710

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona