Crater Lakes Overflowed and Carved Valleys on Mars

A global analysis of Mars images and topography has found that crater lakes in the distant, wet past overflowed and carved valleys.

IMAGE: A colored topographical image showing river valleys on Mars. The outlet canyon Loire Vallis (white line) formed from the overflow of a lake in Parana Basin (outlined in white). Black lines indicate other river valleys formed by processes other than lake overflows. Background is colored Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter-derived topography over a Thermal Emission Imaging System image mosaic. Image is approximately 650 kilometers across. CREDIT: NASA/GSFC/ JPL ASU

In a new paper published in Nature, with lead authors from The University of Texas at Austin and the Planetary Science Institute, researchers found that some of…