Some liberties have been taken with this elevation map. However, it does give an interesting perspective on the
red planet. This map has been derived from the MOLA 128 pixel/degree data release. Generally
the darker green is lower elevation while darker brown is higher elevation. The blue regions are
low areas that may have once been flooded with water.
The evidence that Argire was once flooded to the point of overflow is compelling. The basin itself has features that would be best explained by the presence of a lake. It also has a channel originating from the very point that this basin would overflow. The channel runs clear to the northern plains. Additionally, there are numerous channels that flow into Argire. We can get some glimpse of what this region might have looked like in the distant past by such fictions. There are certain problems with this, though. Even though erosion on Mars is a much slower process than on Earth, it has most likely been more than a billion years since Argire has been flooded. This amount of time has allowed the wind, rain, bombardment from space, and tectonic activity to modify the landscape significantly. Glacial activity may even be in play. So while the evidence for a lake seems compelling, it might have looked quite different from what is depicted here. Some links Full Size JPeg ASU context Mars Global Surveyor / USGS context Hellas Impact Basin - the Largest Impact Basin on Mars Visible Light Images of the Ganges Chasma: 
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