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South Polar Layered Deposits (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)
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The Ice Caps on Mars are surrounded by a thick stack of Layered Deposits. HiRISE and other instruments have shown that these layers are composed of dusty ice. Now imagine this stack of layers as a cake with alternating layers.
What happens if someone comes and takes a big scoop out of the middle of the cake? Well, while our first reaction might be to get mad at them for ruining the cake, take a moment to think what the pattern would look like: it would have rings going round and round the hole. This is what we are seeing in this image of Mars.
The same pattern that you can see HERE!
Therefore, what you see in this frame is just the consequence of some erosional process which has scooped a big hole into the Layered Deposits.
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