In the west of the area (on the right-hand edge of the image)
conspicuous, irregularly shaped light-coloured blocks are
visible. These features are up to two kilometres in size and are
probably large rock fragments or mounds of rock. However, the
mechanism of their formation is still being debated. One
possibility is that the top layer of rock was shattered by the
shockwaves from an impact. Another possible explanation would be
a process known as subrosion, where material is removed from
layers beneath the surface. On Mars, subrosion is widely
observed when rising magma heats frozen ground water, which
melts and removes subsurface material as it flows away. This
leads to a honeycomb of cavities that eventually collapse due to
the weight of the overlying rock layers, leaving the irregular
mounds standing. The bright surface is probably due to the fact
that wind has removed the overlying dust and sand and exposed
the bare rock surface.