Mars’ Reull Vallis: A river ran through it
The riverlike structure is believed to have formed when running water flowed in the distant martian past.
By
ESA, Noordwijk, Netherlands —
Published:
January 18, 2013 Reull Vallis // Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)
Reull Vallis, the riverlike structure in these images, is believed to have formed when running water flowed in the distant martian past, cutting a steep-sided channel through the Promethei Terra Highlands before running on toward the floor of the vast Hellas Basin.
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 Perspective view of Reull Vallis // Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)
The new Mars Express images show a region of Reull Vallis at a point where the channel is almost 4 miles (7km) wide and 1,000 feet (300 meters) deep.
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 Topographic view of Reull Vallis // Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)
The structures were formed long after it was originally carved by liquid water during the Hesperian period, which is believed to have ended between 3.5 billion and 1.8 billion years ago.
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 Reull Vallis in context // Credit: NASA MGS MOLA Science Team
In the wider context image, the tributary intersecting the main channel appears to be part of a forking of the main valley into two distinct branches farther upstream before merging back into a single main valley.
The right (northern) part of the main image is dominated by the Promethei Terra Highlands with their high and soft-rounded mountains shown in these images, rising around 8,200 feet (2,500m) above the surrounding flat plains.
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 Perspective view of Reull Vallis // Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)
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 3D view of Reull Vallis // Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)
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