In this brand new map of the Ares Vallis region of Mars, released by the German space agency DLR, you can see the true differences in height between the high and low parts of our neighboring planet. The highest parts, expressed in red, are about 4000 meters (2.4 miles) above the lowest parts, in blue.
As the DLR explains:
Colour-coded digital terrain models show the impressive differences in height between the Meridiani Planum region at 250 metres below the nominal level of the Martian surface up to the 5000 metres lower-lying Chryse Planitia region. Perspective views look into the Ares Vallis outflow channel or into a crater altered by typical Mars erosion processes typical on Mars.
And here's what that same region looks like at ground level, also with the same color-coded relief map:
And here's the strip up top, showing the Ares Vallis region, in the context of the rest of the region covered by the DLR's wide area topography survey of Mars, which was conducted by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), which is orbiting Mars along with the Mars Express:
Tons more info, and more images, are available over at the DLR webpage.
Contact the author at charliejane@io9.com.