Ausonia Mensa is a mensa in the Hellas quadrangle of Mars, located at 30.3° S and 262.3° W. It is 103 km (64 mi) across and was named after an albedo feature name.[1] The term "mensa" is used for a flat-topped prominence with cliff-like edges.[2] Ausonia Mensa has many small channels. Some features look like alluvial fans. These channels add to the mass of evidence that water once flowed on Mars.[3][4] Images of curved channels have been seen in images from Mars spacecraft dating back to the early 1970s with the Mariner 9 orbiter.[5][6][7][8]

Ausonia Mensa
Ausonia Mensa, as seen by MGS. This eroded mensa has many channels.
Coordinates30°18′S 262°18′W / 30.3°S 262.3°W / -30.3; -262.3
Diameter103 km (64 mi)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ausonia Mensa". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. ^ International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). "Descriptor Terms (Feature Types)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  3. ^ Baker, V., et al. 2015. "Fluvial geomorphology on Earth-like planetary surfaces: a review". Geomorphology. 245, 149–182.
  4. ^ Carr, M. 1996. in Water on Mars. Oxford Univ. Press.
  5. ^ Baker, V. 1982. The Channels of Mars. Univ. of Tex. Press, Austin, TX
  6. ^ Baker, V., R. Strom, R., V. Gulick, J. Kargel, G. Komatsu, V. Kale. 1991. "Ancient oceans, ice sheets and the hydrological cycle on Mars". Nature 352, 589–594.
  7. ^ Carr, M. 1979. "Formation of Martian flood features by release of water from confined aquifers". J. Geophys. Res. 84, 2995–300.
  8. ^ Komar, P. 1979. "Comparisons of the hydraulics of water flows in Martian outflow channels with flows of similar scale on Earth". Icarus 37, 156–181.