Click on image for full size (144K GIF) Image Courtesy of NASA

The uniquely red global surface of Mars is marked by many interesting features - some like those on the Earth and others strangely different. The reddish color is caused by rust (iron oxide) in the soil.

Some of these features are; volcanoes, canyon systems, river beds, cratered terrain, and dune fields.

Of these features, the most interesting include the dead volcano named Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris. Olympus Mons rises very high above the surrounding plains and is the highest known mountain in the Solar System. Valles Marineris is a giant canyon that is about the size of the United States!