16 October 2004
Aram Chaos is the name of an approximately 275 km (171 mi) diameter impact crater near Ares Vallis, roughly half way between the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, site in Meridiani Planum and the easternmost troughs of the Valles Marineris. The Aram Chaos crater is partially filled with a thick accumulation of layered rock. Erosion has exposed light- and dark-toned rock materials in the basin. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a small area exhibiting some of the rock outcrops in Aram Chaos. The light-toned rocks may be sedimentary in origin. This image is located near 4.0°N, 20.6°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.