Areography (geography of Mars)

Areography (which is also sometimes called Martian geography) is the study of the geography, or surface features, of the planet Mars. Just like when earth geographers map out the continents, mountains, rivers, and deserts of our planet, Martian areographers look at the features of Mars, such as its volcanoes, canyons, and giant dust storms. Areography uses pictures taken by a special kind of camera called a Mars Orbiter Camera, which takes pictures of Mars from the space probe in orbit around it. Areography helps scientists to better understand the surface of the planet and to look for evidence of water, ice, and other interesting features that could show that life once existed on Mars. By studying the geography of Mars, scientists can get a better picture of how Mars was formed and how its climate has changed over time.