science

Isidis Planitia

Isidis Planitia is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Isidis Planitia rather than just read about it. In short: Isidis Planitia is a plain located within a giant impact basin on Mars, located partly in the Syrtis Major quadrangle and partly in the Amenthes quadrangle. At approximately 1,900 km (1,200 mi) in diameter, it is the third-largest confirmed impact structure on the planet, after the Hellas and Utopia basins.

Key takeaways

Isidis Planitia belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Isidis Planitia to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Isidis Planitia from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Isidis Planitia is a plain located within a giant impact basin on Mars, located partly in the Syrtis Major quadrangle and partly in the Amenthes quadrangle. At approximately 1,900 km (1,200 mi) in diameter, it is the third-largest confirmed impact structure on the planet, after the Hellas and Utopia basins. Isidis was likely the last major basin to be formed on Mars, having formed around 3.9 billion years ago during the Noachian period, by an impactor around 200 kilometres (120 mi) in diameter. Due to dust coverage, it typically appears bright in telescopic views, and was mapped as a classical albedo feature, Isidis Regio, visible by telescope in the pre-spacecraft era. A study reported in Icarus described the complex geologic history of parts of Isidis, especially areas near the Deuteronilus contact. This contact is the supposed edge of a vast Martian ocean. The researchers found evidence of a Late Hesperian/Early Amazonian Sea in the area. The sea would have quickly frozen over. Eskers formed under the ice. Just to the west of Isidis is Syrtis Major Planum, a low-relief shield volcano that is a prominent dark albedo feature of Mars, which formed after the basin. The westernmost extent is bounded by a subregion, Northeast Syrtis with diverse geology. Around the Isidis basin magnesium carbonate was found by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This mineral indicates that water was present and that it was not acidic, pH conditions more favorable for the evolution of life. The name Isidis Planitia follows the earlier name Isidis Regio ('region of Isis'). Isis is the Egyptian goddess of heaven and fertility.

Gallery

Beagle 2 The Beagle 2 lander was about to land in the eastern part of Isidis Planitia in December 2003, when contact with the craft was lost. In January 2015, NASA reported the Beagle 2 had been found on the surface in Isidis Planitia (location is about 11.5265°N 90.4295°E / 11.5265; 90.4295). High-resolution images captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter identified the lost probe, which appears to be intact. (see discovery images here)

Mars 2020 mission In 2018, the Jezero Crater in the north west rim of the Isidis basin was selected as a landing site for the Mars 2020 mission, including the Perseverance rover.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Isidis Planitia

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Isidis Planitia claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Isidis Planitia before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Isidis Planitia ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Isidis Planitia

In research: Isidis Planitia appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Isidis Planitia in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Isidis Planitia is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Amenthes quadrangle, Impact craters on Mars, Plains on Mars, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Isidis Planitia outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Isidis Planitia” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Isidis Planitia in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Isidis Planitia means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Isidis Planitia out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Isidis Planitia in simple terms?

Why does Isidis Planitia matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Isidis Planitia?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Isidis Planitia.