English: 2001 Mars Odyssey THEMIS infrared image mosaic of Ius Chasma, colored to resemble the actual color of Mars.

With a length great enough to stretch from New York City to Los Angeles, Valles Marineris is the Grand Canyon of Mars. Scientists think the canyons cutting into the rim developed as subsurface water escaped and the ground collapsed - a process called "sapping." The side canyons extending from the south rim in this scene are termed the Louros Valles.

The original NASA image has been adjusted in hue, saturation and resolution.