Melas Chasma

The floor of Melas Chasma is about 70% younger massive material that is thought to be volcanic ash whipped up by the wind into eolian features. It also contains rough floor material from the erosion of the canyon walls. Around the edges of Melas is also much slide material.

In a recent study of southwestern Melas Chasma using high-resolution image, topographic and spectral datasets eleven fan-shaped landforms were found. These fans add to growing evidence that Melas Chasma once held a lake that had fluctuating levels.

Using HiRISE images, CTX images, and DEM's, a team of researchers mapped many channels and inverted channels in Melas Chasma. A digital elevation model (DEM) is a digital model or 3D representation of a terrain's surface. In addition, they found dendritic networks of channels in the plateaus just above the Chasma. Channels appeared to have formed at different times, hence there were "wet-dry" phases in the history of Melas Chasma. The whole region may have had liquid water for extended periods in the early Hesperian.