This region of Xanthe Terra has mostly been contracted due to thrust faulting, but this local region shows evidence of extensional faulting, also called normal faulting.

When two normal faults face each other, they create a bathtub-like depression called a “graben.”

Written by: Kirby Runyon (audio: Tre Gibbs)   (15 July 2016)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_046064_1800 .

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_045497_1800

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona