Valles Marineris - Revision history

Praemonitus: Too many photos for its length

2024-11-15T22:39:37Z

Too many photos for its length

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	{{Short description\|Valley system on Mars}}		{{Short description\|Valley system on Mars}}
			{{Too many photos\|date=November 2024}}
	{{Infobox feature on celestial object		{{Infobox feature on celestial object
	\|name=Valles Marineris		\|name=Valles Marineris

ArkHyena: /* Former formation hypotheses */ proposed by whom?

2024-11-11T16:53:49Z

Former formation hypotheses: proposed by whom?

← Previous revision		Revision as of 16:53, 11 November 2024
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	===Former formation hypotheses===		===Former formation hypotheses===
	Hypotheses about the formation of Valles Marineris have changed over the years.<ref>Cabrol, N. and E. Grin (eds.). 2010. Lakes on Mars. Elsevier. NY</ref> Ideas in the 1970s were erosion by [[water]] or [[thermokarst]] activity, which is the melting of [[permafrost]] in glacial climes. Thermokarst activity may have contributed, but erosion by water is a problematic mechanism because liquid water cannot exist in most current Martian surface conditions, which typically experience about 1% of Earth's atmospheric pressure and a temperature range of {{convert\|148\|K\|°C °F\|abbr=on}} to {{convert\|310\|K\|°C °F\|abbr=on}}. Many scientists however agree that [[Water on Mars\|liquid water]] flowed on the Martian surface in the past, when atmospheric conditions were different. Valles Marineris may have been enlarged by flowing water at that time. Another hypothesis by McCauley in 1972 was that the canyons formed by withdrawal of subsurface magma. Around 1989, a formation hypothesis by tensional fracturing was proposed.		Hypotheses about the formation of Valles Marineris have changed over the years.<ref>Cabrol, N. and E. Grin (eds.). 2010. Lakes on Mars. Elsevier. NY</ref> Ideas in the 1970s were erosion by [[water]] or [[thermokarst]] activity, which is the melting of [[permafrost]] in glacial climes. Thermokarst activity may have contributed, but erosion by water is a problematic mechanism because liquid water cannot exist in most current Martian surface conditions, which typically experience about 1% of Earth's atmospheric pressure and a temperature range of {{convert\|148\|K\|°C °F\|abbr=on}} to {{convert\|310\|K\|°C °F\|abbr=on}}. Many scientists however agree that [[Water on Mars\|liquid water]] flowed on the Martian surface in the past, when atmospheric conditions were different. Valles Marineris may have been enlarged by flowing water at that time. Another hypothesis by McCauley in 1972 was that the canyons formed by withdrawal of subsurface magma. Around 1989, a formation hypothesis by tensional fracturing was proposed.{{by whom\|date=November 2024}}

	== Regions of Valles Marineris ==		== Regions of Valles Marineris ==

ArkHyena: /* Former theories of formation */ these are hypotheses, not theories

2024-11-11T16:53:18Z

Former theories of formation: these are hypotheses, not theories

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	[[File:016vallesmarineris.jpg\|thumb\|800px\|center\|Valles Marineris in mosaic of [[Thermal Emission Imaging System\|THEMIS]] infrared images from ''[[2001 Mars Odyssey]]'']]		[[File:016vallesmarineris.jpg\|thumb\|800px\|center\|Valles Marineris in mosaic of [[Thermal Emission Imaging System\|THEMIS]] infrared images from ''[[2001 Mars Odyssey]]'']]

	===Former ~~theories~~ ~~of formation~~===		===Former formation hypotheses===
	~~Theories~~ about the formation of Valles Marineris have changed over the years.<ref>Cabrol, N. and E. Grin (eds.). 2010. Lakes on Mars. Elsevier. NY</ref> Ideas in the 1970s were erosion by [[water]] or [[thermokarst]] activity, which is the melting of [[permafrost]] in glacial climes. Thermokarst activity may have contributed, but erosion by water is a problematic mechanism because liquid water cannot exist in most current Martian surface conditions, which typically experience about 1% of Earth's atmospheric pressure and a temperature range of {{convert\|148\|K\|°C °F\|abbr=on}} to {{convert\|310\|K\|°C °F\|abbr=on}}. Many scientists however agree that [[Water on Mars\|liquid water]] flowed on the Martian surface in the past, when atmospheric conditions were different. Valles Marineris may have been enlarged by flowing water at that time. Another hypothesis by McCauley in 1972 was that the canyons formed by withdrawal of subsurface magma. Around 1989, a ~~theory~~ ~~of formation~~ by tensional fracturing was proposed.		Hypotheses about the formation of Valles Marineris have changed over the years.<ref>Cabrol, N. and E. Grin (eds.). 2010. Lakes on Mars. Elsevier. NY</ref> Ideas in the 1970s were erosion by [[water]] or [[thermokarst]] activity, which is the melting of [[permafrost]] in glacial climes. Thermokarst activity may have contributed, but erosion by water is a problematic mechanism because liquid water cannot exist in most current Martian surface conditions, which typically experience about 1% of Earth's atmospheric pressure and a temperature range of {{convert\|148\|K\|°C °F\|abbr=on}} to {{convert\|310\|K\|°C °F\|abbr=on}}. Many scientists however agree that [[Water on Mars\|liquid water]] flowed on the Martian surface in the past, when atmospheric conditions were different. Valles Marineris may have been enlarged by flowing water at that time. Another hypothesis by McCauley in 1972 was that the canyons formed by withdrawal of subsurface magma. Around 1989, a formation hypothesis by tensional fracturing was proposed.

	== Regions of Valles Marineris ==		== Regions of Valles Marineris ==

ArkHyena: trim infobox caption

2024-11-11T16:52:07Z

trim infobox caption

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	\|name=Valles Marineris		\|name=Valles Marineris
	\|image=[[Image:Mars Valles Marineris.jpeg\|250px]]		\|image=[[Image:Mars Valles Marineris.jpeg\|250px]]
	\|caption=Valles Marineris stretches over {{convert\|4000\|km\|mi\|abbr=on}} across Mars, mostly east-west just below the equator, as seen in this ''[[Viking 1]]'' orbiter image mosaic. The three [[Tharsis Montes]] are at left; towards the top, an ancient outflow channel stretches northward from [[Echus Chasma]] to [[Kasei Valles]]. Similar [[outflow channel]]s extend from the east end of Valles Marineris towards Mars's [[Vastitas Borealis\|northern lowlands]].		\|caption=Valles Marineris stretches over {{convert\|4000\|km\|mi\|abbr=on}} across Mars, mostly east-west just below the equator, as seen in this ''[[Viking 1]]'' orbiter image mosaic.
	\|naming=[[Mariner 9]]		\|naming=[[Mariner 9]]
	\|coordinates= {{coord\|13.9\|S\|59.2\|W\|globe:mars_type:landmark\|display=inline,title}}		\|coordinates= {{coord\|13.9\|S\|59.2\|W\|globe:mars_type:landmark\|display=inline,title}}

DocWatson42: /* External links */Deleted a duplicate link and performed other, minor, cleanup.

2024-11-11T14:51:44Z

External links: Deleted a duplicate link and performed other, minor, cleanup.

← Previous revision		Revision as of 14:51, 11 November 2024
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	== External links ==		== External links ==
	{{~~commons~~ category}}		{{Commons category}}
	*Flight into Mariner Valley: Valles Marineris HD video (narrated) at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUbQM47QXwQ YouTube] or the [http://themis.mars.asu.edu/node/5470 ASU web site]		* Flight into Mariner Valley: Valles Marineris HD video (narrated) at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUbQM47QXwQ YouTube] or the [http://themis.mars.asu.edu/node/5470 ASU web site]
	*[http://www.google.com/mars/#lat=-9.795677&lon=-64.248046&zoom=4 Google Mars scrollable map] ~~- centered~~ on Valles Marineris		* [http://www.google.com/mars/#lat=-9.795677&lon=-64.248046&zoom=4 Google Mars scrollable map]—centered on Valles Marineris
	*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WsjeJiAR4E Flying around Candor Chasma at an altitude of 100 meters] (see [https://www.youtube.com/user/MARS3DdotCOM/videos MARS3DdotCOM album] for more)		* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WsjeJiAR4E Flying around Candor Chasma at an altitude of 100 meters] (see [https://www.youtube.com/user/MARS3DdotCOM/videos MARS3DdotCOM album] for more)
	* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKKPKcmhvho Video] simulation of high altitude Valles Marineris overflight by Seán Doran (see [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbdt9s6ywoD-kRnsN8w97kqf00Mzgkrge Mars playlist] for more)		* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKKPKcmhvho Video] simulation of high altitude Valles Marineris overflight by Seán Doran (see [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbdt9s6ywoD-kRnsN8w97kqf00Mzgkrge Mars playlist] for more)

	{{Geography of Mars}}		{{Geography of Mars}}
	{{Portal bar\|Solar System}}
	{{Authority control}}		{{Authority control}}

⚫	[[Category:Valleys and canyons on Mars]]
	[[Category:Extraterrestrial landslides]]		[[Category:Extraterrestrial landslides]]
		⚫	[[Category:Valleys and canyons on Mars]]

Randy Kryn: 'Mariner 9' not italicized at link

2024-11-11T03:33:41Z

'Mariner 9' not italicized at link

← Previous revision		Revision as of 03:33, 11 November 2024
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	}}		}}

	'''Valles Marineris''' ({{IPAc-en\|'\|v\|æ\|l\|ᵻ\|s\|_\|m\|ær\|ᵻ\|'\|n\|ɛər\|ᵻ\|s}};<ref>{{dict.com\|Valles Marineris}}</ref> [[Latin]] for ''[[Mariner program\|Mariner]] Valleys'', named after the ''[[Mariner 9]]'' [[Mars]] orbiter of 1971–72 which discovered it) is a system of [[canyon]]s that runs along the [[Mars\|Martian]] surface east of the [[Tharsis]] region.<ref name = "USGS_VMarineris">{{cite web		'''Valles Marineris''' ({{IPAc-en\|'\|v\|æ\|l\|ᵻ\|s\|_\|m\|ær\|ᵻ\|'\|n\|ɛər\|ᵻ\|s}};<ref>{{dict.com\|Valles Marineris}}</ref> [[Latin]] for ''[[Mariner program\|Mariner]] Valleys'', named after the [[Mariner 9]] [[Mars]] orbiter of 1971–72 which discovered it) is a system of [[canyon]]s that runs along the [[Mars\|Martian]] surface east of the [[Tharsis]] region.<ref name = "USGS_VMarineris">{{cite web
	\| title = Valles Marineris \| work = Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature		\| title = Valles Marineris \| work = Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
	\| publisher = [[USGS Astrogeology Science Center]] \| url = http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6288		\| publisher = [[USGS Astrogeology Science Center]] \| url = http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6288

Citation bot: Altered title. Add: authors 1-1. Removed parameters. Some additions/deletions were parameter name changes. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Jay8g | #UCB_toolbar

2024-05-13T05:56:03Z

Altered title. Add: authors 1-1. Removed parameters. Some additions/deletions were parameter name changes. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Jay8g | #UCB_toolbar

← Previous revision		Revision as of 05:56, 13 May 2024
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	=== Noctis Labyrinthus ===		=== Noctis Labyrinthus ===
	[[File:Noctis Labyrinthus.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|right\|Morning water ice fog spills out of Noctis Labyrinthus (''[[Viking 1]]'' orbiter image)]]		[[File:Noctis Labyrinthus.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|right\|Morning water ice fog spills out of Noctis Labyrinthus (''[[Viking 1]]'' orbiter image)]]
	[[Noctis Labyrinthus]], on the western edge of the Valles Marineris Rift System, north of the [[Syria Planum]] and east of [[Pavonis Mons]], is a jumbled terrain composed of huge blocks which are heavily fractured. It also contains canyons that run in different directions surrounding large blocks of older terrain. Most of the upper parts of the blocks are composed of younger fractured material thought to be of volcanic origin associated with the Tharsis bulge. The other tops are composed of older fractured material thought also to be volcanic in origin, but differentiated from the younger material by more ruggedness and more impact craters. The sides of the blocks are composed of undivided material thought to be basement rock. The space between the blocks is composed mainly of either rough or smooth floor material. The rough floor material tends to be in the eastern portion of the Noctis Labyrinthus and is thought to be debris from the walls or maybe eolian features covering rough topography and landslides. The smooth floor material is thought to be composed of fluvial or basaltic material and/or eolian features covering an otherwise rough and jumbled terrain.<ref name="USGS I-2010">Witbeck, Tanaka and Scott, Geologic Map of the Valles Marineris Region, Mars; USGS I-2010; 1991.</ref> Terrains such as Noctis Labyrinthus are commonly found at the head of outflow channels, like the one explored by the Pathfinder mission and its Sojourner rover. They are interpreted to be a place of downward block faulting associated with the removal of ground fluid in catastrophic flood sequences.<ref name="Rodriguez 2015">{{cite journal\|~~last~~=Rodriguez\|~~first~~=J. Alexis P.\|last2=Kargel\|first2=Jeffrey S.\|last3=Baker\|first3=Victor R.\|last4=Gulick\|first4=Virginia C.\|date=8 September 2015\|title=Martian outflow channels: How did their source aquifers form, and why did they drain so rapidly?\|journal=Scientific Reports\|volume=5\|page=13404\|doi=10.1038/srep13404\|pmid=26346067\|pmc=4562069\|display-authors=etal\|bibcode=2015NatSR...513404R}}</ref> The fluid could be either carbon-dioxide ice and gas, water or lava. The hypothesis of lava involvement is associated with a proposal that Noctis Labyrinthus is directly connected to lava tubes on the slope of Pavonis Mons.<ref name = "Leone2014" /> In 2024, scientists found evidence that the hypothesized lava came from a volcano they dubbed '''Noctis Mons''', which would be the seventh-highest mountain on Mars at {{cvt\|9028\|m\|ft}}, and that the eastern part of its base was home to multiple [[glacier]]s with potential for hosting life, which could make it a highly valuable candidate target for [[astrobiology]] missions. <ref name="SETI Institute 2024">{{cite web \| title=Giant Volcano Discovered on Mars \| website=SETI Institute \| date=March 13, 2024 \| url=https://www.seti.org/press-release/giant-volcano-discovered-mars \| access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref> <ref name="SETI Institute 2023">{{cite web \| title=Remains of a Modern Glacier Found Near ~~Mars’~~ Equator Implies Water Ice Possibly Present at Low Latitudes on Mars Even Today \| website=SETI Institute \| date=March 15, 2023 \| url=https://www.seti.org/press-release/remains-modern-glacier-found-near-mars-equator-implies-water-ice-possibly-present-low-latitudes \| access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref>		[[Noctis Labyrinthus]], on the western edge of the Valles Marineris Rift System, north of the [[Syria Planum]] and east of [[Pavonis Mons]], is a jumbled terrain composed of huge blocks which are heavily fractured. It also contains canyons that run in different directions surrounding large blocks of older terrain. Most of the upper parts of the blocks are composed of younger fractured material thought to be of volcanic origin associated with the Tharsis bulge. The other tops are composed of older fractured material thought also to be volcanic in origin, but differentiated from the younger material by more ruggedness and more impact craters. The sides of the blocks are composed of undivided material thought to be basement rock. The space between the blocks is composed mainly of either rough or smooth floor material. The rough floor material tends to be in the eastern portion of the Noctis Labyrinthus and is thought to be debris from the walls or maybe eolian features covering rough topography and landslides. The smooth floor material is thought to be composed of fluvial or basaltic material and/or eolian features covering an otherwise rough and jumbled terrain.<ref name="USGS I-2010">Witbeck, Tanaka and Scott, Geologic Map of the Valles Marineris Region, Mars; USGS I-2010; 1991.</ref> Terrains such as Noctis Labyrinthus are commonly found at the head of outflow channels, like the one explored by the Pathfinder mission and its Sojourner rover. They are interpreted to be a place of downward block faulting associated with the removal of ground fluid in catastrophic flood sequences.<ref name="Rodriguez 2015">{{cite journal\|last1=Rodriguez\|first1=J. Alexis P.\|last2=Kargel\|first2=Jeffrey S.\|last3=Baker\|first3=Victor R.\|last4=Gulick\|first4=Virginia C.\|date=8 September 2015\|title=Martian outflow channels: How did their source aquifers form, and why did they drain so rapidly?\|journal=Scientific Reports\|volume=5\|page=13404\|doi=10.1038/srep13404\|pmid=26346067\|pmc=4562069\|display-authors=etal\|bibcode=2015NatSR...513404R}}</ref> The fluid could be either carbon-dioxide ice and gas, water or lava. The hypothesis of lava involvement is associated with a proposal that Noctis Labyrinthus is directly connected to lava tubes on the slope of Pavonis Mons.<ref name = "Leone2014" /> In 2024, scientists found evidence that the hypothesized lava came from a volcano they dubbed '''Noctis Mons''', which would be the seventh-highest mountain on Mars at {{cvt\|9028\|m\|ft}}, and that the eastern part of its base was home to multiple [[glacier]]s with potential for hosting life, which could make it a highly valuable candidate target for [[astrobiology]] missions. <ref name="SETI Institute 2024">{{cite web \| title=Giant Volcano Discovered on Mars \| website=SETI Institute \| date=March 13, 2024 \| url=https://www.seti.org/press-release/giant-volcano-discovered-mars \| access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref> <ref name="SETI Institute 2023">{{cite web \| title=Remains of a Modern Glacier Found Near Mars' Equator Implies Water Ice Possibly Present at Low Latitudes on Mars Even Today \| website=SETI Institute \| date=March 15, 2023 \| url=https://www.seti.org/press-release/remains-modern-glacier-found-near-mars-equator-implies-water-ice-possibly-present-low-latitudes \| access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref>
	<gallery widths="190px" heights="180px">		<gallery widths="190px" heights="180px">
	Image:Part of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with the Mars Global Surveyor - 20060529.jpg\|Part of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with ''Mars Global Surveyor''.		Image:Part of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with the Mars Global Surveyor - 20060529.jpg\|Part of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with ''Mars Global Surveyor''.

ArkHyena: add type

2024-04-29T16:50:15Z

add type

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	{{Short description\|~~Valleys~~ on Mars}}		{{Short description\|Valley system on Mars}}
	{{Infobox feature on celestial object		{{Infobox feature on celestial object
	\|name=Valles Marineris		\|name=Valles Marineris
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	\|coordinates= {{coord\|13.9\|S\|59.2\|W\|globe:mars_type:landmark\|display=inline,title}}		\|coordinates= {{coord\|13.9\|S\|59.2\|W\|globe:mars_type:landmark\|display=inline,title}}
	\|length=over {{convert\|4000\|km\|mi\|abbr=on}}		\|length=over {{convert\|4000\|km\|mi\|abbr=on}}
			\|type = Fault system
	}}		}}

Jarrod Baniqued: #article-section-source-editor

2024-03-22T10:36:41Z

#article-section-source-editor

129.79.197.109: /* Ius and Tithonium chasmata */

2024-03-06T04:25:53Z

Ius and Tithonium chasmata

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	=== Ius and Tithonium chasmata ===		=== Ius and Tithonium chasmata ===
	[[Image:Mars; Ius Chasma.jpg\|right\|thumb\|400px\|Ius Chasma image mosaic from ''[[2001 Mars Odyssey]]'', showing side canyons created by [[Groundwater sapping\|sapping]]. On the northern (upper) rim, right of center, a ~~side~~ canyon turns 90 degrees where it encounters a [[graben]].]]		[[Image:Mars; Ius Chasma.jpg\|right\|thumb\|400px\|Ius Chasma image mosaic from ''[[2001 Mars Odyssey]]'', showing side canyons created by [[Groundwater sapping\|sapping]]. On the northern (upper) rim, right of center, a canyon turns 90 degrees where it encounters a [[graben]].]]
	Further to the east from Oudemans, [[Ius Chasma\|Ius]] and [[Tithonium Chasma\|Tithonium]] chasmata are located parallel to each other, Ius to the south and Tithonium to the north. Ius is the wider of the two, leading to Melas Chasma. Ius has a ridge down the center of it by the name of Geryon Montes, composed of the undivided basement rock. The floor of Ius Chasma is mostly composed of pristine landslide material, not much degraded by cratering or erosion. The southern wall of Ius, and to a lesser extent the northern wall, has many short valleys stretching off roughly perpendicular to the line of the chasmas. These valleys have a stubby theater-headed leading edge very much like features seen on the Colorado Plateau near the [[Grand Canyon]] that appear from [[groundwater sapping]]. (Theater-headed means that, from above, the head of the valley is a well-defined U-shape). The valley is propagated by the continued erosion and the collapse of the wall.<ref>Howard, Kochel and Holt; Sapping Features of the Colorado Plateau: A Comparative Planetary Geology Field Guide; NASA; 1988.</ref> Tithonium Chasma is very similar to Ius, except it is lacking the sapping features on the south side and contains a small portion of material that is similar to the smooth floor features except that it appears to be an ash fall that has been eroded by the wind. Between the two canyons, the surface is composed of younger fractured material - lava flows and faults from crustal extension of the [[Tharsis Bulge]].<ref name="USGS I-2010"/>		Further to the east from Oudemans, [[Ius Chasma\|Ius]] and [[Tithonium Chasma\|Tithonium]] chasmata are located parallel to each other, Ius to the south and Tithonium to the north. Ius is the wider of the two, leading to Melas Chasma. Ius has a ridge down the center of it by the name of Geryon Montes, composed of the undivided basement rock. The floor of Ius Chasma is mostly composed of pristine landslide material, not much degraded by cratering or erosion. The southern wall of Ius, and to a lesser extent the northern wall, has many short valleys stretching off roughly perpendicular to the line of the chasmas. These valleys have a stubby theater-headed leading edge very much like features seen on the Colorado Plateau near the [[Grand Canyon]] that appear from [[groundwater sapping]]. (Theater-headed means that, from above, the head of the valley is a well-defined U-shape). The valley is propagated by the continued erosion and the collapse of the wall.<ref>Howard, Kochel and Holt; Sapping Features of the Colorado Plateau: A Comparative Planetary Geology Field Guide; NASA; 1988.</ref> Tithonium Chasma is very similar to Ius, except it is lacking the sapping features on the south side and contains a small portion of material that is similar to the smooth floor features except that it appears to be an ash fall that has been eroded by the wind. Between the two canyons, the surface is composed of younger fractured material - lava flows and faults from crustal extension of the [[Tharsis Bulge]].<ref name="USGS I-2010"/>

← Previous revision		Revision as of 10:36, 22 March 2024
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	=== Noctis Labyrinthus ===		=== Noctis Labyrinthus ===
	[[File:Noctis Labyrinthus.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|right\|Morning water ice fog spills out of Noctis Labyrinthus (''[[Viking 1]]'' orbiter image)]]		[[File:Noctis Labyrinthus.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|right\|Morning water ice fog spills out of Noctis Labyrinthus (''[[Viking 1]]'' orbiter image)]]
	[[Noctis Labyrinthus]], on the western edge of the Valles Marineris Rift System, north of the [[Syria Planum]] and east of [[Pavonis Mons]], is a jumbled terrain composed of huge blocks which are heavily fractured. It also contains canyons that run in different directions surrounding large blocks of older terrain. Most of the upper parts of the blocks are composed of younger fractured material thought to be of volcanic origin associated with the Tharsis bulge. The other tops are composed of older fractured material thought also to be volcanic in origin, but differentiated from the younger material by more ruggedness and more impact craters. The sides of the blocks are composed of undivided material thought to be basement rock. The space between the blocks is composed mainly of either rough or smooth floor material. The rough floor material tends to be in the eastern portion of the Noctis Labyrinthus and is thought to be debris from the walls or maybe eolian features covering rough topography and landslides. The smooth floor material is thought to be composed of fluvial or basaltic material and/or eolian features covering an otherwise rough and jumbled terrain.<ref name="USGS I-2010">Witbeck, Tanaka and Scott, Geologic Map of the Valles Marineris Region, Mars; USGS I-2010; 1991.</ref> Terrains such as Noctis Labyrinthus are commonly found at the head of outflow channels, like the one explored by the Pathfinder mission and its Sojourner rover. They are interpreted to be a place of downward block faulting associated with the removal of ground fluid in catastrophic flood sequences.<ref name="Rodriguez 2015">{{cite journal\|last=Rodriguez\|first=J. Alexis P.\|last2=Kargel\|first2=Jeffrey S.\|last3=Baker\|first3=Victor R.\|last4=Gulick\|first4=Virginia C.\|date=8 September 2015\|title=Martian outflow channels: How did their source aquifers form, and why did they drain so rapidly?\|journal=Scientific Reports\|volume=5\|page=13404\|doi=10.1038/srep13404\|pmid=26346067\|pmc=4562069\|display-authors=etal\|bibcode=2015NatSR...513404R}}</ref> The fluid could be either carbon-dioxide ice and gas, water or lava. The hypothesis of lava involvement is associated with a proposal that Noctis Labyrinthus is directly connected to lava tubes on the slope of Pavonis Mons.<ref name = "Leone2014" />		[[Noctis Labyrinthus]], on the western edge of the Valles Marineris Rift System, north of the [[Syria Planum]] and east of [[Pavonis Mons]], is a jumbled terrain composed of huge blocks which are heavily fractured. It also contains canyons that run in different directions surrounding large blocks of older terrain. Most of the upper parts of the blocks are composed of younger fractured material thought to be of volcanic origin associated with the Tharsis bulge. The other tops are composed of older fractured material thought also to be volcanic in origin, but differentiated from the younger material by more ruggedness and more impact craters. The sides of the blocks are composed of undivided material thought to be basement rock. The space between the blocks is composed mainly of either rough or smooth floor material. The rough floor material tends to be in the eastern portion of the Noctis Labyrinthus and is thought to be debris from the walls or maybe eolian features covering rough topography and landslides. The smooth floor material is thought to be composed of fluvial or basaltic material and/or eolian features covering an otherwise rough and jumbled terrain.<ref name="USGS I-2010">Witbeck, Tanaka and Scott, Geologic Map of the Valles Marineris Region, Mars; USGS I-2010; 1991.</ref> Terrains such as Noctis Labyrinthus are commonly found at the head of outflow channels, like the one explored by the Pathfinder mission and its Sojourner rover. They are interpreted to be a place of downward block faulting associated with the removal of ground fluid in catastrophic flood sequences.<ref name="Rodriguez 2015">{{cite journal\|last=Rodriguez\|first=J. Alexis P.\|last2=Kargel\|first2=Jeffrey S.\|last3=Baker\|first3=Victor R.\|last4=Gulick\|first4=Virginia C.\|date=8 September 2015\|title=Martian outflow channels: How did their source aquifers form, and why did they drain so rapidly?\|journal=Scientific Reports\|volume=5\|page=13404\|doi=10.1038/srep13404\|pmid=26346067\|pmc=4562069\|display-authors=etal\|bibcode=2015NatSR...513404R}}</ref> The fluid could be either carbon-dioxide ice and gas, water or lava. The hypothesis of lava involvement is associated with a proposal that Noctis Labyrinthus is directly connected to lava tubes on the slope of Pavonis Mons.<ref name = "Leone2014" /> In 2024, scientists found evidence that the hypothesized lava came from a volcano they dubbed '''Noctis Mons''', which would be the seventh-highest mountain on Mars at {{cvt\|9028\|m\|ft}}, and that the eastern part of its base was home to multiple [[glacier]]s with potential for hosting life, which could make it a highly valuable candidate target for [[astrobiology]] missions. <ref name="SETI Institute 2024">{{cite web \| title=Giant Volcano Discovered on Mars \| website=SETI Institute \| date=March 13, 2024 \| url=https://www.seti.org/press-release/giant-volcano-discovered-mars \| access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref> <ref name="SETI Institute 2023">{{cite web \| title=Remains of a Modern Glacier Found Near Mars’ Equator Implies Water Ice Possibly Present at Low Latitudes on Mars Even Today \| website=SETI Institute \| date=March 15, 2023 \| url=https://www.seti.org/press-release/remains-modern-glacier-found-near-mars-equator-implies-water-ice-possibly-present-low-latitudes \| access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref>
	<gallery widths="190px" heights="180px">		<gallery widths="190px" heights="180px">
	Image:Part of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with the Mars Global Surveyor - 20060529.jpg\|Part of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with ''Mars Global Surveyor''.		Image:Part of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with the Mars Global Surveyor - 20060529.jpg\|Part of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with ''Mars Global Surveyor''.
	Image:Noctis Labyrinthus.JPG\|Layers in the wall of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with ''[[Mars Global Surveyor]]'', under the [[MOC Public Targeting Program]].		Image:Noctis Labyrinthus.JPG\|Layers in the wall of Noctis Labyrinthus taken with ''[[Mars Global Surveyor]]'', under the [[MOC Public Targeting Program]].
	Image:25970noctuslayers.jpg\|Section of layers near top of Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the [[HiWish program]].		Image:25970noctuslayers.jpg\|Section of layers near top of Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the [[HiWish program]].
	Image:25970bottomlayers.jpg\|Group of layers near the bottom of Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program.		Image:25970bottomlayers.jpg\|Group of layers near the bottom of Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program.
	Image:CtxnoctisP11 005334 1717.jpg\|Wide view of cliff with layers in Noctis Labyrinthus.		Image:CtxnoctisP11 005334 1717.jpg\|Wide view of cliff with layers in Noctis Labyrinthus.
	Image:26682layersclose.jpg\|Close-up of part of previous image of layers in Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program.		Image:26682layersclose.jpg\|Close-up of part of previous image of layers in Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program.
	Image:26682dunes.jpg\|Close-up of complex, dark dunes in the previous image of the floor of Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program.		Image:26682dunes.jpg\|Close-up of complex, dark dunes in the previous image of the floor of Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program.
	Image:26682layersnorth.jpg\|Close-up of some layers in wall of Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program.		Image:26682layersnorth.jpg\|Close-up of some layers in wall of Noctis Labyrinthus, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program.
	</gallery>		</gallery>