In your role as a student planetary geologist, you have been helping the Universal Space Agency figure out what geologic process formed the channel on Mars. Answer the questions below and refer to the image of the channel on Mars on the next page.

Landform Formed by Flowing Water
Landform Formed by Flowing Lava

You must have at least 2 sentences for each question to receive full credit. Answer the questions using your own words!
Above are two images of landforms on Earth. Select one of the images above that you think is evidence that can support an answer to the question: What geologic process could have formed the channel on Mars? What do you think the answer to this question is, and how does the image you selected support that answer to this question?

Based on what you know now, do you think the channel on Mars was formed by flowing water or flowing lava? (check one)
flowing water
flowing lava
unsure

1 answer

To analyze the geologic processes that could have formed the channel on Mars, I would select the image of a landform formed by flowing water. This image showcases features such as meandering patterns and sediment deposition that are characteristic of river channels on Earth. These characteristics closely resemble the channel observed on Mars, suggesting that a similar process involving the movement of water may have been at play in the Martian environment.

Based on this analysis, I think the channel on Mars was formed by flowing water. The presence of branched channels and sedimentary features seen in the image I selected supports this conclusion, as these are typical indicators of erosion and sediment transport associated with water flow. Furthermore, several studies have indicated that Mars once had liquid water on its surface, making it plausible that flowing water could have carved the observed channel over time.