Mars Topography
‘98 Mars Global Surveyor
- Very detailed images, measured magnetic field
- magnetic stripes indicate early field and tectonic activity
- Laser Altimeter (instead of radar) measure topography
- now known better than Earth! Science cover
- S. Hemisphere higher
- heavily cratered terrain seen by Mariner
- Hellas basin -- giant impact crater
- 2300 km diameter, 6 km deep!
- similar to Aitken basin on far side of Moon
- Tharsis bulge with giant shield volcanoes
- Olympus Mons highest
- 25 km, higher than Everest
- Valles Marineris huge
- seems to empty out into low, N. Hemisphere
- tectonic rift or channel dug by water?
- much bigger than Grand Canyon in Arizona