Water Flowed on Mars

Welcome to Intricate Osuga Valles

The search for water on Mars keeps turning up evidence that something wet once flowed across its surface. Images like this one from the Mars Express orbiter show streamlined islands and narrow gorges that were carved out by fast-moving water sometime in the distant past. This one shows a region near the Vallis Marineris canyon complex that splits the mid-section of the planet. Captured on December 7th, 2013 by the Mars Express cameras, this view is of the Osuga Valles region. It’s an outflow channel that emanates from a region of what planetary scientists call chaotic terrain (that is, chaotic landscapes disrupted in some way).

Flow features on Mars
A perspective view of Osuga Valles on Mars, showing braided river valleys that once carried water across the surface. Courtesy ESA/Mars Express.

The search for water on Mars keeps turning up evidence that water once flowed across its surface. Images like this one from the Mars Express orbiter show streamlined islands and narrow gorges that were carved out by fast-moving water sometime in the distant past. This one shows a region near the Vallis Marineris canyon complex that splits the mid-section of the planet. Captured on December 7th, 2013 by the Mars Express cameras, this view is of the Osuga Valles region. It’s an outflow channel that emanates from a region of what planetary scientists call chaotic terrain (that is, chaotic landscapes disrupted in some way).

So, what caused this scene? The most likely explanation is an episode of chaotic flooding (extremely heavy flash flooding) that sent water and rocks and mud rushing across the landscape and carving out these channels and gullies. The geologic evidence here suggests that there were likely several bouts of flooding, creating these grooved valley floors and islands.

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