This observation focuses on an unusually high density of cratered cones, imaged previously by the Mars Orbiter Camera. These cones could possibly be mud volcanos. On Earth, a large number of these formations are located in Gobustan, Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea.

If they are mud volcanoes, what are the processes on Mars that might have created them? At HiRISE resolution, we can look for subtle flow features and compare these with other cratered cones elsewhere on Mars.

This caption is based on the original science rationale.

Written by: HiRISE Science Team (audio by Tre Gibbs)   (27 February 2013)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_025518_2210 .

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_025439_2210

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona