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The following is a list of regions on Mars given the name Terra (pl. Terrae). Most cover large, rugged areas, often including outflow channels, cratering, and "chaos terrain". They may be contrasted with the Planitia (e.g., Amazonis Planitia) and Mare (e.g., Mare Erythraeum), smoother regions of differing albedo.
Interactive image map of the global topography of Mars. Hover your mouse over the image to see the names of over 60 prominent geographic features, and click to link to them. Coloring of the base map indicates relative elevations , based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor .
The maps below were produced by the Mars Global Surveyor ' s Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter; redder colors indicate higher elevations.The maps of the equatorial quadrangles use a Mercator projection, while those of the mid-latitude quadrangles use a Lambert conformal conic projection, and the maps of the polar quadrangles use a polar stereographic projection.
Areography, also known as the geography of Mars, is a subfield of planetary science that entails the delineation and characterization of regions on Mars. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Areography is mainly focused on what is called physical geography on Earth; that is the distribution of physical features across Mars and their cartographic representations.
The surface appearance of some regions of Mars is due to how this unit has degraded. It is a major cause of the surface appearance of lobate debris aprons . [ 56 ] The layering of the upper plains mantling unit and other mantling units are believed to be caused by major changes in the planet's climate.
Mare Acidalium (Acidalian Sea) is the name of a telescopic albedo feature located at 45° N and 330° E on Mars. The feature was named for a well or fountain in Boeotia, Greece. According to classical tradition, it is a location where Venus and the Graces bathed. [5] The name was approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1958. [6
The Eridania quadrangle lies between 30° and 65° south latitude and 180° and 240° west longitude on the planet Mars. Most of the classic region named Terra Cimmeria is found within this quadrangle. It is named after a region on the Po River, Italy. The name was approved by the IAUP in 1958. [2] [3]
Changes in Mars's orbit and tilt cause significant changes in the distribution of water ice from polar regions down to latitudes equivalent to Texas. During certain climate periods water vapor leaves polar ice and enters the atmosphere. The water comes back to ground at lower latitudes as deposits of frost or snow mixed generously with dust.