Return
to Solar SystemTwelve orbits a day provided the Mars Global Surveyor MOC wide angle cameras a global snapshot of
weather patterns across the planet in April, 1999. Here, bluish-white water ice clouds hang above the
Tharsis volcanoes. This computer generated image was created by wrapping a global map onto a sphere.
The center of this sphere is 15 degrees North latitude, 90 degrees West longitude. This perspective rotates
the south pole (which has no data coverage in the original map) away from our field of view.
South Candor Chasma Candor Chasm's geomorphology
is complex, shaped by tectonics, mass wasting, wind, and perhaps by water and volcanism. (Courtesy USGS)
This mosaic of Mars is similar to the view you
would see from a spacecraft. The center of the scene shows the entire Valles Marineris canyon system,
over 4000 km (2486 mi) long and up to 7 km (5 mi) deep. It extends from Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate
system of graben on the west side, to the chaotic terrain on the east side. Many ancient river channels
begin from the chaotic terrain and north-central canyons and run north. Three Tharsis volcanoes are
visible to the west (dark red spots). They rise 10 to 18 km (6 to 11 mi) above the Tharsis Plateau, attaining
elevations of 18 to 26 km (11 to 16 mi). Return to Solar System