Ground so old it named an entire era of Mars.
Noachis Terra is one of the oldest terrains on Mars, a densely cratered southern highland dating back roughly 4 billion years. It is so ancient and representative that its name defines the Noachian period, the earliest era of Martian geologic time.
Claim your plot here →Noachis Terra preserves a surface pockmarked by the heavy bombardment that battered the inner solar system some four billion years ago. Its craters are countless and overlapping, and it lies between two of Mars's great impact basins, Hellas and Argyre, making it a showcase of the planet's violent early history.
Because it formed during Mars's warmer, wetter youth, Noachis holds valley networks and eroded features that hint at ancient running water. As the type region for the Noachian period, it is a benchmark that scientists use to date and understand the oldest chapters of the planet.