Alluvial Fan, China and Mongolia

On the border between Mongolia and China, southward draining ephemeral streams have carved a series of parallel channels. Mountains to the north have an elevation of 1800 m; the catchment lake for the streams lies at 500 m elevation. The flat, featureless, homogeneous plain between the source and sink controls the geometry of the drainage pattern. The image was acquired August 17, 2014, covers an area of 17.7 by 36.3 kilometers, and is located at 42.7 degrees north, 100.9 degrees east. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23196