Complicated Lava Cooling

This HiRISE image shows a classic example of platy-ridged lava. Scientists think that this is the same as a lava type called "rubbly pahoehoe" on Earth. In this lava, a crust of rubble forms as the lava partially cools but then tears up its own cover. Eventually, the rubble can form plates that can be rafted apart as the lava cools further, producing textures like those visible on terrestrial lava lakes that have cooled. We see here a complex history of these processes.