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This observation highlights terrain that looks like an elephant. Actually, this image covers
the margin of a lava flow in Elysium Planitia, the youngest flood-lava province on Mars.
Flood lavas cover extensive areas, and were once thought to be emplaced extremely rapidly,
like a flood of water. Most flood lavas on Earth are emplaced over years to decades,
and this is probably true for much of the lava on Mars as well. An elephant can walk
away from the slowly advancing flow front. However, there is also evidence for much more
rapidly flowing lava on Mars, a true flood of lava. In this instance, maybe this elephant
couldn't run away fast enough.