Nirgal Vallis
Vallis on Mars / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Nirgal Vallis is a long river channel bordering the Coprates quadrangle and Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle of Mars at 28.4° south latitude and 42° west longitude. It is 610 km long and is named after Nergal, the Babylonian god of war and counterpart to the Roman god of war Mars.[1] Nirgal Vallis had a discharge of 4800 cubic meters/second.[2] The western half of Nirgal Valles is a branched system, but the eastern half is a tightly sinuous, deeply entrenched valley. Nirgal Valles ends at Uzboi Vallis. Tributaries are very short and end in steep-walled valley heads, often called "amphitheater-headed valleys." The shape of these valley heads is like cirques on the Earth.[3]
Coordinates | 28.4°S 42°W / -28.4; -42 |
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Naming | the word for "Mars" in Babylonian |
Water from Nirgal Vallis contributed to a great flood that went through the rim of Holden Crater and helped form a lake in the crater. It's estimated that Nirgal Vallis had a discharge of 4800 cubic meters/second.[4] Water from Nirgal Vallis was inbounded in Uzboi Vallis because the rim of Holden Crater blocked the flow. At a certain point the stored water broke through the rim of Holden and created a lake 200–250 m deep.[5] Water with a depth of at least 50 m entered Holden at a rate that 5-10 times the discharge of the Mississippi River.[6][7][8][9] Terraces and the presence of large rocks (tens of meters across) support these high discharge rates.[5][6][10][11][12]
- Map showing locations Nirgal Vallis and other nearby valleys
- Viking Orbiter 1 image showing the entire valley