The clays of Mawrth Vallis
This new image from ESA’s Mars Express shows the distinctive and fascinating Mawrth Vallis, one of the most promising locations on Mars in our search for signs of life.
The region is thickly coated in light-toned clays containing silicate minerals; these deposits – some 200 m deep in places – are the most widespread found on Mars, and are obviously visible in these new images. The light clays are overlaid by darker ‘caps’, which can also be clearly seen and are thought to be of volcanic origin. The silicates within these clays are evidence that the surface has been altered by water, hinting at a habitable environment in the past.