Public domain
Orcus Patera Dark Slope Streaks
From the collection of NASA Image and Video Library. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Today's VIS image is located on the eastern margin of Orcus Patera. Dark slope streaks are present on most ridges in the image. Formation of these features is linked to a change in the surface, either removal of the dusty surface revealing darker rock beneath the dust, or a volatile flow along the cliff face. The mechanism that formed Orcus Patera is unknown. While the term "patera" is tied to volcanic activity, the elongate shape might also have been caused by a low angle meteor impact.
NASA Image and Video Library’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineOrcus Patera Dark Slope Streaks. NASA/JPL, 2020-01-17. Public domain. ID: PIA23640.
