Overview and regional maps · 70–71
Tharsis–Noctis
Zoom with the mouse wheel inside the image or use the buttons. Drag the enlarged image with the hand cursor; swipe to move on a touchscreen.
Lava rising through fissures for hundreds of millions of years built a rise so heavy that the axis of Mars shifted, bringing the rise to the equator. Forces pushing from below also lifted and fractured the centre of the Tharsis rise. Travellers heading for Valles Marineris begin their journey through these labyrinth valleys before disappearing into the dawn fog that settles in the canyon.