Marsdalen avslöjar spår av forntida hav och översvämningar

En vidsträckt dal på Mars ger nya bevis för att planeten en gång i tiden hyste stora vattenmassor. Shalbatana Vallis sträcker sig cirka 1 300 kilometer nära ekvatorn och uppvisar tecken på kraftiga grundvattenöversvämningar från miljarder år tillbaka.

Europeiska rymdorganisationens farkost Mars Express har fångat nya bilder av den norra delen av dalen. Dessa vyer framhäver djupa kanaler utskurna av forntida översvämningar, kollapsad terräng och avlagringar av vulkanisk aska. Huvudkanalen mäter cirka 10 kilometer i bredd och är på vissa ställen upp till 500 meter djup.

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