Hutton (Martian crater)

Hutton is a crater in the Mare Australe quadrangle of Mars, located at 71.8° south latitude and 255.4° west longitude. It is 99 km in diameter and was named after James Hutton, a British geologist (1726-1797). Many areas of Mars show patterned ground. Sometimes the ground has the shape of polygons. In other places, the surface has low mounds arranged in chains. Patterned ground is common in cold climates on Earth when the soil contains water that is often frozen. Patterned ground is visible below in the image of Hutton Crater.