RIVERS AND WATER-RELATED PROCESSES ON THE PLANETS

Earth and Mars are unique in that they are the only two planets with evidence of water-carved channels on their surfaces. In the case of Mars, the complex channel networks are now dry, but they indicate that the climate was warmer or wetter than at present. Rain may have fallen on Mars. Mars may have been wet enough to allow primitive life forms to develop on the surface. Glaciers are common on Earth. Although two small polar caps do exist, it is not certain whether glaciers existed on Mars. These stereo views were constructed from images obtained by astronauts onboard the space shuttle, or by the Viking spacecraft that orbited Mars between 1976 and 1980.

Click on the images to view at full resolution.
Images should be viewed using red-blue stereo glasses.

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EARTH

SITE: Darya-Ye Sut
REGION: Afghanistan
PLANET: Earth
FEATURES: Valley networks
Fault

MARS

SITE: Vedra Valles
REGION: Lunae Planum
PLANET: Mars
FEATURES: Outflow channels
Sapping Channels

Image processing by Paul Schenk, David Gwynn, and James Tutor, Lunar and Planetary Institute.

©Lunar and Planetary Institute, 2000