Much of the crater interior is covered by a dark deposit, likely wind-blown volcanic ash. The brighter deposits shining through the dark material are known to contain clay minerals, formed by volcanic ash mixing with water, suggesting that liquid water may have ponded here for some time.

Further evidence of volcanic activity is seen in the ‘wrinkle ridges’ that ripple across the smoother terrain that surrounds the crater, formed as lava flows cooled and contracted.

This feature-rich crater has all the ingredients for exploring Mars’s varied geological processes, giving us a tantalising taste of its complex history.

ESA’s Mars Express has been observing and analysing Mars’s many landscapes for more than two decades, returning insights that have drastically changed our understanding of our planetary neighbour. Explore more, here.