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Outflow Channel (Mars)

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Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms

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Definition

Large-scale complexes of fluid-eroded troughs (Baker et al. 1992).

Synonyms

Flood channel; Megaflood channel; Outflow channel system

Description

Large depressions on Mars up to tens of km wide, hundreds of km long, up to a km deep (McCauley et al. 1972; Carr and Clow 1981; Baker et al. 1992). They may commence abruptly in collapsed and disrupted chaotic terrains at full width and are deepest at the head and decrease in size distally (Sharp and Malin 1975). They may show anastomosing pattern, longitudinal grooves or ridges on channel floors around obstacles, and streamlined forms (Carr 1995; Fig. 1). Outflow channels rarely have tributaries (Carr 1996).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Streamlined residual islands and longitudinal ridges in Mangala Valles. THEMIS Day IR (NASA/JPL/ASU). (b) CTX: G18_025339_1648_XN_15S150W (NASA/JPL/MSSS)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Konkoly Thege Miklos Astronomical Institute, Research Center for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    Ákos Kereszturi

  2. Planetary Science Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    Henrik Hargitai

Authors
  1. Ákos Kereszturi
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  2. Henrik Hargitai
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Correspondence to Ákos Kereszturi .

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Kereszturi, Á., Hargitai, H. (2014). Outflow Channel (Mars). In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_525-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_525-1

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