This photograph seems to answer the previous
question. It shows a dry river valley with a well developed tributary
system running from Martian highlands in the upper portion of the
picture into a small sea or lake in the lower portion. There is even
the suggestion of an alluvial fan where the main channel empties into
the sea/lake basin. The crater on the left margin, just above the
center of the picture, appears to have been an upland crater lake
with a well defined outlet but no inlet. The existence of such a lake
suggests an overall warmer, wetter climate with rain, necessary to
replenish the water lost to drainage and evaporation. Notice, also,
the ghost crater pair, upper right of center, and the ridge extending
downward from them. The drainage pattern from this ridge suggests a
divide, with water to the right of the ridge flowing away from water
to the left. Such a system develops over a relatively long period of
time, implying that Mars had a past climate significantly different
from the one we see today - one, perhaps, much more earthlike.
Slide 15 of
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