28 February 2004
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a middle northern latitude crater in western Elysium Planitia near 33.7°N, 257.8°W. The textured floor is a common feature at north and south middle latitudes, but its origin is not well understood. It is possible that sublimation of ice is a contributor to forming this texture, but it is just as possible that the processes do not involve ice or water in any form. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left; the picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide.