Scamander Vallis is a winding, degraded valley network in the northern hemisphere of Mars. Visible here are several bends, or meanders, in the valley. The bottom of the valley contains dunes, and the scene is speckled with small impact craters.

The walls of the valley have slope streaks ranging in color from dark to light. Slope streaks are proposed to form by avalanching dust and to evolve by fading or brightening over time. Thus, the slope streaks in Scamander Vallis likely formed at different times.

Across the center of image, there are some dark streaks that go across the valley walls; these are probably dust devil tracks. As dust devils (mini wind funnels) move across the surface, they stir up dust and leave behind dark trails.

Written by: Kelly Kolb   (11 February 2009)

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_011289_1950

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona