To the centre of the image, right of the central pit crater, are the aforementioned large patches of light-toned clays. Clays can also be seen within the walls of some of the craters here, interspersed with caps of dark volcanic rock.

Further to the right (north), the terrain smooths out and drops in relief. This is the beginning of the martian lowlands – more precisely, a plain named Chryse Planitia. Two large, interconnected, and highly eroded craters sit on this boundary; the larger one is some 75 km across, the smaller one about 35 km across. Chryse Planitia is a fascinating part of Mars. In previous explorations, Mars Express’ MARSIS radar instrument found ancient buried basins here, stretching out for hundreds of km below ground.

Keeping these craters company is a number of ‘mesas’ and knobs (small hills) of around 3 km across, scattered across the northernmost terrain (to the right). Last but not least, to the top right of the frame lies evidence of a previous impact event. This impact released a mix of water, rock and debris that flowed like mud, creating a blanket that flooded across the surface.