10 April 2004
Marte Valles is an outflow channel system that straddles 180°W longitude between the region south of Cerberus and far northwestern Amazonis. The floor of the Marte valleys have enigmatic platy flow features that some argue are formed by lava, others suggest they are remnants of mud flows. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an island created in the middle of the main Marte Valles channel as fluid---whether lava or mud---flowed past two older meteor impact craters. The craters are located near 21.5°N, 175.3°W. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.