View source for Chryse Planitia

{{Mars atlas}}
'''Chryse Planitia''' is a circular plain in the northern equator close to the [[Tharsis]] region, at the intersection of the [[Mare Acidalium quadrangle|Mare Acidalium]], the [[Lunae Palus quadrangle|Lunae Palus]] and the [[Oxia Palus quadrangle|Oxia Palus]] quadrangles. Chryse Planitia is believed to be an ancient impact basin, it's floor being 2.5km below the planet's average surface height. It is 1600 km in diameter, with a land area of approximately 2,560,000 km<sup>2</sup> (an area approximating that of Greenland). 

Chryse Planitia was named in 1973 and means "''Golden Plain''" in Greek. 

In 1975, the boulder-shrewn plains of Chryse Planitia were chosen as the location for the [[GFDL:Viking 1|Viking 1]] lander (where the [[Thomas Mutch Memorial Station]] is located today). Although believed to have once been the bottom of an ancient lake basin, Viking 1 observed no fluvial features in the region and appeared at the time to be volcanic. The 1996 [[Mars Pathfinder]] mission was therefore sent to [[Ares Vallis]], an outflow channel emptying into Chryse Planitia. 

==External Links== 

*[http://www.google.com/mars/#lat=38.272688&lon=-26.367187&zoom=2&map=visible&q=Chryse%20Planitia Locate Chryse Planitia with Google Mars.]

[[category:Mars Atlas]]