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Aram Chaos, the lumpy, bumpy floor of an ancient impact
crater on Mars, formed as a result of catastrophic melting and outflow of a
buried ice lake. A new study combines observations from satellite photos of the
280 kilometre wide and four kilometre deep crater plus models of the ice
melting process and resulting catastrophic outflow. Manuel Roda has presented
the results at the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) at UCL in London.
Chaotic terrains are enigmatic features, stretching up to
hundreds of kilometres across, that are distinctive to Mars. The mechanism by
which they formed has been poorly understood by scientists.