After the gradual collapse of this 3.7-mile-long area of plateaus, the remains settled as a large outcropping of mesas and layered rocks. Scientists have formulated many possible explanations for the different layers, including dust, sand, volcanic ash or lake deposits. The color variations in the image (sand is represented in blue) might indicate further erosion. Studying the material composition of the hills and knobs will aid scientists in determining the geological history of Mars, and help determine whether humans could ever settle atop such a jagged landscape.

NASA, HiRISE/JPL/University of Arizona