# Mars Express imagery of Thyles Rupes

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mars-express-imagery-of-thyles-rupes
> Updated: 2026-09-27T06:00:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

Data from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft has revealed a striking purple and pink landscape at Thyles Rupes, a massive system of cliffs in the Martian southern highlands. The imagery, captured using the High Resolution Stereo Camera, shows kilometer-high scarps and frozen dunes.

The unexpected colors are attributed to a combination of geological factors rather than a single mineral. Darker regions contain volcanic minerals such as olivine and pyroxene, while lighter, bluish patches consist of carbon dioxide frost and ice deposits from the South Polar ice cap. 

Thyles Rupes is considered a tectonic feature formed by the contraction of the Martian crust during the planet's cooling. The presence of seasonal carbon dioxide frost that expands and shrinks throughout the Martian year further characterizes the south polar cap region.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-27: Mars south polar region reveals unexpected purple and pink colors

New imagery of Mars' south polar region reveals striking pink and purple hues around the Thyles Rupes ice escarpment, suggesting a complex geological history of volcanic minerals and frozen carbon dioxide.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mars-south-polar-region-reveals-unexpected-purple-and-pink-colors

### 2026-09-21: Mars Express reveals purple landscape at Thyles Rupes

New imagery from ESA’s Mars Express reveals the berry-purple landscape of Thyles Rupes, a massive cliff system in Mars’s southern highlands shaped by volcanic minerals, frost, and dust.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mars-express-reveals-purple-landscape-at-thyles-rupes

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Cite as: Mars Express imagery of Thyles Rupes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mars-express-imagery-of-thyles-rupes