Hypanis Valles
Proposed (but rejected) Mars Science Laboratory landing site in the Hypanis Valles | |
| Coordinates | 9°36′N 46°42′W / 9.6°N 46.7°W |
|---|---|
| Length | 231.0 km |
| Naming | Classical name for river in Scythia; present Kuban River in Russia. |
The Hypanis Valles are a set of channels in a 270 km valley in Xanthe Terra on Mars at 11° N, 314° E, in the Lunae Palus quadrangle. They appear to have been carved by long-lived flowing water, and a significant deposit (interpreted by some to be a river delta) exists at their outlet into the lowlands.
The feature was named for a river in Scythia; present Kuban River in Russia.
- Map showing location of the Hypanis Valles (indicated with an arrow) and nearby features
Research described at a Planetary Conference in Texas in the spring of 2018 suggested that the Hypanis Valles fan complex is a delta with multiple channels and lobes, which formed at the margin of a large, standing body of water. That body of water was a northern ocean. This delta is at the dichotomy boundary between the northern lowlands and southern highlands near Chryse Planitia. It is the largest proposed delta system on Mars.
- A location in the Hypanis Valles, as seen by HiRISE (scale bar is 500 m)
