Mesa = Table

Aug. 10, 2006

This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows two mesas on the northern plains of Mars. 'Mesa' is the Spanish word for 'table,' -- a very good description of the two elliptical features.

10 August 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows two mesas on the northern plains of Mars. "Mesa" is the Spanish word for "table," and that is a very good description of the two elliptical features captured in this MOC image. In both cases, the mesa tops and the material beneath them, down to the level of the surrounding, rugged plain, are remnants of a once more extensive layer (or layers) of material that has been largely eroded away. The circular feature near the center of the larger mesa is the site of a filled and buried impact crater.

Location near: 53.5°N, 153.5°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: lower left
Season: Northern Spring

Mesa = Table

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