Dikes
Near Huygens, especially just to the east are a number of narrow ridges which appear to be the remnants of dikes, like the ones around Shiprock, New Mexico. The dikes were once under the surface, but have now been eroded. Dikes are magma-filled cracks that often carry lava to the surface. Dikes by definition cut across rock layers. Some dikes on earth are associated with mineral deposits. Discovering dikes on Mars means that perhaps future colonists will be able to mine needed minerals on Mars, instead of transporting them all the way from the Earth.
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Dike near the crater Huygens shows up as narrow dark line running from upper left to lower right, as seen by THEMIS.
Read more about this topic: Iapygia Quadrangle
Famous quotes containing the word dikes:
“I saw a towr on a toft tryely y-maked;
A deep dale benethe, a dungeoun thereinne
With deepe dikes and derke and dredful of sight.”
—William Langland (1330–1400)