Planet Mars: Cerberus Fossae (infrared view) | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Visible in this observation is the eastern section of Cerberus Fossae (width approximately 250 meters), made up of a series of rifts located in Elysium Planitia just north the Martian equator. The fossae (Latin plural for a “ditch” or “depression”) are in close proximity and related to the formation of Athabasca Valles that lies to the west. These rifts are collapse features believed to form by volcanic and tectonic processes.
The Cerberus Fossae are a series of semi-parallel fissures on Mars formed by faults that pulled the crust apart in the Cerberus region. They are 1235 km across and centered at 11.28 °N and 166.37 °E. Their northernmost latitude is 16.16 °N and their southernmost latitude 6.23 °N. Their easternmost and westernmost longitudes are 174.72 °E and 154.43 °E, respectively. They can be seen in the Elysium quadrangle.
In this composite image, we can see that the rift is not continuous, but discontinuous and offset. The offset could be the result of a preexisting subsurface discontinuity, such as a fault.
The close-up view of HiRISE infrared color shows us a plethora of information about Cerberus Fossae and the great amount of detail that HiRISE captures. The clear view of boulders strewn in shadowed areas of the rift is a testament to the high signal-to-noise capability and high resolution of the HiRISE camera; aeolian dunes along with boulders deposited from erosion of the rift walls are also visible in detail.
Another remarkable aspect of this image is the stark contrasts it captures: light-toned dusty—surfaces that surround the rift versus the dark blue basaltic sands and the shadows within the rift. The detail that HiRISE can provide is indeed phenomenal, and as demonstrated here, the infrared color provides additional information. Why, for instance, is the floor of Cerberus Fossae a deep blue, and why is there such a contrast with the orange-grayish Martian surface? It is not water. The volcanic and mafic sand contains unoxidized iron that appears a deep blue, while the Martian surface is covered by oxidized iron-bearing dust which appears orange-grayish.
Using the pixel-length of the shadow within the rift, the incidence angle of the Sun at the time the image was taken, and trigonometry, the approximate depth of the various sections of Cerberus Fossae can be estimated. Based on this simple method, an approximate depth is 260 meters. This estimate suggests that the rift is as wide as it is deep.
Black & white is less than 5 km across; enhanced color is less than 1 km.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has spent over twenty years (2006-2026) orbiting the Red Planet, collecting valuable scientific data.
This HiRISE enhanced color camera image (less than 1 km in size) was captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) at an altitude of 278 km (173 miles).
Latitude (centered): 75.597°
Longitude (East): 13.493°
The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). It was built by BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Washington.
Release Date: Aug. 9, 2026
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