| Kasei Valles | |
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Area around Northern Kasei Valles, showing relationships among Kasei Valles, Bahram Vallis, Vedra Vallis, Maumee Vallis, and Maja Valles. Map location is in Lunae Palus quadrangle and includes parts of Lunae Planum and Chryse Planitia. |
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Kasei Valles is a giant system of canyons in Mare Acidalium and Lunae Palus quadrangles on Mars, located at 24.6° north latitude and 65.0° west longitude. It is 1,780 km long and was named for the word for "Mars" in Japanese.[1] This huge system is 300 miles wide in some places. In contrast, Earth's Grand Canyon is only 18 miles wide.[2] It is one of the longest continuous outflow channels on Mars. The Kasei Valles system begins in Echus Chasma, runs northward, and appears to empty into Chryse Planitia. At around 20° north latitude Kasei Valles splits into two channels, called Kasei Vallis Canyon and North Kasei Channel. These branches recombine at around 63° west longitude. Some parts of Kasei Valles are 2–3 km deep.[3]