The surface of Mars is separated by the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The Southern half of Mars is virtually covered in impact craters and other fascinating surface features such as deep canyons, dunes, and remnants of water on Mars surface. These impact craters date back to the planets beginning, about 4 billion years ago. The Northern hemisphere is marked by expansive plains, some volcanic craters, but much less craters altogether.

Mars' thin atmosphere, which is 95% carbon dioxide, makes for much less of a shielding effect from craters, obviously resulting in more crater structures on the planet's surface and because Mars' surface is not constantly resurfacing itself as Earth's is.

The impact craters themselves on Mars are generally deeper than the craters on Earth. This could be because of gravitational discrepancies but also might be due to ground ice . Scientists studying the surface of Mars can conclude that there is some ice under the surface of the planet because of the unique fluid ejecta patterns that are commonly seen on Mars. These ejecta patterns are sometimes flowerlike because of the splash down of ice that was displaced upon impact and then refrozen.

Martian impact craters are fascinating to geologists and scientists alike because of their uniqueness and how old they are. The history of Mars and its development over billions of years can be read on the surface of the planet through studying the layers of craters upon craters, the deep canyons, the unusually smooth surface of the Northern Hemisphere and the other various fascinating surface features that literally make up the surface of Mars.