Impacts that form craters dig deep holes in the ground, exposing rocks well below the current surface.
In the center of the large craters, the rocks below can rise, bouncing upward during the final stages of crater formation.
This image shows the central pit of a large impact crater in the highlands of southern Mars. We see varied colors, suggesting that there are a variety of rock types. Studies of these rocks from far below the surface help us to understand the ancient Mars as well as the processes that altered the rocks after they formed and were buried.
ID: ESP_023024_1685Date: June 25, 2011Altitude: 258 km
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