| Location | Oxia Palus quadrangle |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 7°48′N42°06′W / 7.8°N 42.1°W /7.8; -42.1 |
| Naming | Word for "Mars" inAkkadian. |
Shalbatana Vallis is an ancient water-worn channel onMars, located in theOxia Palus quadrangle at 7.8° north latitude and 42.1° west longitude. It is the westernmost of the southern Chryseoutflow channels. Beginning in a zone of chaotic terrain calledOrson Welles crater, at 0° latitude and 46° W longitude, it ends inChryse Planitia.[1]
Shalbatana Vallis contains the first definitive evidence of a Martian shoreline. This shoreline was part of an ancient lake 80 square miles (210 km2) in size and 1,500 feet (460 m) deep. The study carried out with HiRISE images indicates that water formed a 30 miles (48 km) long canyon that opened up into a valley, deposited sediment, and created a delta. This delta and others around the basin imply the existence of a large, long-lived lake. Of special interest is evidence that the lake formed after the warm, wet period was thought to have ended. So, lakes may have been around much longer than previously thought.[2][3]
It is the word for "Mars" in Akkadian.[4]
