Libya Montes
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| Libya Montes | |
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| Coordinates | 2.7° N, 271.2°W |
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The Libya Montes are a ring of mountains on Mars up-lifted by the giant impact that created the Isidis basin to the north. During 1999, this region became one of the top two that were being considered for the now-canceled Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander. The Isidis basin is very, very ancient. Thus, the mountains that form its rims would contain some of the oldest rocks available at the Martian surface, and a landing in this region might potentially provide information about conditions on early Mars. After they formed by giant impact, the Libya Mountains and valleys were subsequently modified and eroded by other processes, including wind, impact cratering, and flow of liquid water to make the many small valleys.[1]
