Ausonia Mensa

Ausonia Mensa is a mensa in the Hellas quadrangle of Mars, located at 30.3° S and 262.3° W. It is 103 km 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 seventies with the Mariner 9 orbiter.[5] [6] [7] [8]

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  Channel in Ausonia Mensa, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program

Ausonia Mensa

Ausonia Mensa, as seen by MGS. This eroded mensa has many channels.
Coordinates	30.3°S 262.3°W / -30.3; -262.3

See also

• HiRISE
• HiWish program
• MGS
• Valley networks (Mars)

References

1. "Ausonia Mensa". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
2. https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms
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.