A deep chasm reveals a possible solidified stream in the central mound of Gale Crater, located in the cratered highlands of Mars.
The roughly 90 mile-wide (152 km) crater was spotted by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter near the dividing line between highlands and lowlands. The large depression contains a mound of layered, or stratified, material that is more than 1.2 miles (2 km) thick at some points. The chasm cuts through the mound to reveal the built-up layers, much like canyon walls cut by running water on Earth.
There is yet another feature within the chasm. The right part of the image shows a winding feature that may once have been a flowing stream of water. Over time, the minerals and sediment in the water cemented the stream in place. The surrounding rock that might have once formed the streambed then eroded over time, leaving the former stream protruding from the chasm floor.
sos: http://www.space.com/imageoftheday/image_of_day_080321.html
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