Banded terrains in Hellas basin, Mars
Introduction
Hellas basin is a large impact basin situated in the southern highlands of Mars. The north-western part of the basin has the lowest elevation (-7.5 km) on the planet and contains a possibly unique terrain type, which we informally call “banded terrain”. It is characterized by long, often thin, adjacent ribbons up to several kilometers long, which change orientation and warp, often in conjunction with local topography.

Analysis of the banded terrain architecture using a geomorphological approach
The aim of our work is to analyze and characterize the banded using both newly-acquired and currently available datasets as high-resolution images (HiRISE), CTX images, and digital terrain models (DTMs) to understand the terrain’s morphometry and geomorphology at different size-scales, and to gain an insight into its composition and depositional history. The approach chosen to carry out our study consists in a combination of mapping, morphometric analysis within GIS environments (Jmars and Arcmap), and transport modeling.


Publications
Diot, X., El-Maarry, M.R., Schlunegger, F., Norton, K.P., Thomas, N., Grindrod, P.M. and Chojnacki, M. (2016). Complex geomorphologic assemblage of terrains in association with the banded terrain in Hellas basin, Mars. Planetary and Space Science, 121, 36-52.
Diot, X., El-Maarry, M.R., Guallini, L., Schlunegger, F., Norton, K.P., Thomas, N., Sutton, S. and Grindrod, P.M. (2015). An ice-rich flow origin for the banded terrain in the Hellas basin, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 120, 2258-2276.
Diot, X., El-Maarry, M.R., Schlunegger, F., Norton, K.P., Thomas, N. and Grindrod, P.M. (2014). The geomorphology and morphometry of banded terrain in Hellas basin, Mars. Planetary and Space Science, 101, 118-134.