Melas Chasma

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Melas Chasma
Combined infrared and daytime observation of Melas Chasma. The shadowed regions (blue) indicate successive landslides.
Coordinates	10.4° S, 72.7°W
Length	547.0 km
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Melas Chasma is a canyon on Mars, the widest segment of the Valles Marineris canyon system,^[1] located east of Ius Chasma at 9.8°S, 283.6°E. It cuts through layered deposits that are thought to be sediments from an old lake that resulted from runoff of the valley networks to the west.^[2] Other theories include windblown sediment deposits and volcanic ash.^[1]

The floor of Melas Chasma is about 70% younger massive material that is thought to be volcanic ash whipped up by the wind into eolian features. It also contains rough floor material from the erosion of the canyon walls. Around the edges of Melas is also a lot of slide material.^[3] This is also the deepest part of the Valles Marineris system at eleven kilometers deep from the surrounding surface, from here to the outflow channels are about a 0.03 degree slope upward to the northern plains, which means that if you filled the canyon with fluid, would have a lake with a depth of one kilometer before the fluid would flow out onto the northern plains.^[4]

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