Layers of Cliffs in Northern Mars . ... Credit Copyright: HiRISE , MRO , LPL (U. Arizona) , NASA Explanation: How did these layers of red cliffs form on Mars? No one is sure. The northern ice cap on Mars is nearly divided into two by a huge division named Chasma Boreale . ... The above image spans about one kilometer near the north of Mars, and the elevation drop from right to left is over a kilometer. One hypothesis relates the formation of Chasma Boreale to underlying volcanic activity . ...