Rupes Tenuis

Rupes Tenuis (Latin: thin cliff) is a Martian north polar scarp.

[2] It marks the outer perimeter of Planum Boreum from longitude 242.12°E to 300.77°E, and it is formed by the eastern extension of the Olympia Cavi, a series of local troughs and depressions, which become longer and deeper as they merge to create the Rupes Tenuis scarp formation.

[5] The proposed erosion mechanism for the polar basal unit in general, and Rupes Tenuis in particular, are katabatic winds (From Greek: katabasis, "descent", i.e. strong winds descending from Planum Boreum), and solar ablation.

[6] This erosion process is theorised to have existed since the Late Amazonian period on Mars, and it is considered to have contributed to the continuous retreat of the polar scarp from an older southern latitude as low as 74ºN.

[6] Geological formations in the vicinity of the scarp, such as mounds, are considered to have been formed by erosion mechanisms rather than volcanic activity.

Perspective view of the Martian polar ice cap and the scarp Rupes Tenuis with Abalos Mensa on the left of the picture. Picture was taken by the Mars Express orbiter of the European Space Agency
USGS map showing the location of Rupes Tenuis in Planum Boreum
Upper Rupes Tenuis unit exposed northwest of Crotone crater