Full Version: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Thanks for that Barek, although I fail to see how six year old images from Mars Global Surveyor have any relevance to a thread on the latest images and findings from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, particularly ones from a UFO / Mars conspiracy site. In future if you wish to post such conspiracy material please do so in either the Conspiracies & Secret Societies forum or the Extraterrestrial Life & The UFO Phenomenon (you will find a lot on this subject there).
HiRise Operations Center
Mantling Material on Crater Floor
Mantling Material on Crater Floor
Observation ID PSP_001507_1400
Release date 18 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
This HiRISE image shows remnants of a mantling deposit on the floor of a crater in the southern highlands of Mars.
The slope up towards the crater rim is visible in the lower right part of the image. The rough, hummocky texture may be related to loss of ice from material that was once ice-rich.
One goal of this image was to investigate the parallel lines that are visible around several of the large hummocks and hills in the image's center (see subimage, approx. 500 m [1/3 mile] across; 1529x1304, 6 MB). We'd like to determine whether these are layers that are present throughout the rock, or whether they are merely on the surface. In the first case, these may be the expression of buried bedrock layers. However, it is also possible that these are related to the mantling deposits, perhaps representing variations in the mantle.
At high resolution, the lines appear to be small ridges, that are either buried by or composed of the mantling material. In the best exposures, these ridges look like the edges of layers of the mantling material that was draped over the entire region and then eroded off the high places. This suggests the second hypothesis: we are probably seeing variations in the mantle, perhaps due to multiple cycles of material being laid down.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_001507_1400 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 21-Nov-2006. The complete image is centered at -39.6 degrees latitude, 343.8 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 251.3 km (157.1 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 25.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 100.6 cm/pixel (with 4 x 4 binning). The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:40 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 76 degrees, thus the sun was about 14 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 138.9 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Layers in Terby Crater
Layers in Terby Crater
Observation ID PSP_001596_1525
Release date 18 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Image PSP_001596_1525 shows a sequence of predominantly light-toned, layered, sedimentary rocks exposed by erosion on the floor of Terby Crater. Terby Crater is ~165 kilometers (~100 miles) in diameter. It's located on the northern rim of the Hellas impact basin in the southern hemisphere of Mars.
The layered sequence is ~2 kilometers (~1.2 miles) thick and consists of many repetitive, relatively horizontal beds. The beds appear to be laterally continuous, which means you can identify a given layer in many locations across the area.
Details in the layering seen in this HiRISE image reveal variations in the brightness of the layers and may indicate differing mineralogies. Based on the ease with which wind appears to erode these layers, they are believed to be composed mostly of fine-grained sediments. However, one or more of the beds is weathering to form meter(yard)-scale boulders that have accumulated downslope in fans of debris (see subimage, full resolution, approx. 200 m [218 yards] across; 880x1062, 3 MB). These larger boulders indicate the material in the layers may be stronger than just fine-grained sediments.
It's not clear how these layers formed, but it may have involved deposition by wind or volcanic activity. Another theory involves all or part of the Hellas basin being filled with ice-covered lakes at one time in the past. The layers we see may have formed as material that was suspended in the water dropped down to the bottom of the lake.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_001596_1525 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 28-Nov-2006. The complete image is centered at -27.3 degrees latitude, 74.3 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 256.4 km (160.3 miles). At this distance the image scale is 25.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~77 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:38 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 68 degrees, thus the sun was about 22 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 142.3 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Concentric Crater Fill in the Northern Plains
Concentric Crater Fill in the Northern Plains
Observation ID PSP_001926_2185
Release date 18 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Image PSP_001926_2185 shows part of an unnamed crater located in the Northern Plains.
The intriguing landforms in the floor of this crater are known as "concentric crater fill." Such landforms are found at high latitudes (approximately above 30o from the equator), where theoretical calculations indicate that ice may exist under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. Examples of concentric crater fill were first observed in the 1970s, in images acquired by cameras on board the Viking orbiters.
The roughly concentric ridges and throughs in the crater's floor are believed to result from compression caused by viscous flow of a thick mixture of rocks, soils, and ice inward from the crater's walls.
Impact craters with concentric fill are usually shallower than other craters. The crater shown here is approximately 12 km (7.5 miles) in diameter, and 200-400 m (220-440 yards) deep; other Martian craters of similar diameter but without concentric fill may be as deep as 700 m (765 yards). Unlike in "regular" craters, the slopes of the walls of craters with concentric fill tend to be convex, and the crater's rim is more rounded.
All these characteristics are consistent with deformation of an ice-rock mixture similar to what's observed in rock glaciers on Earth.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_001926_2185 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 24-Dec-2006. The complete image is centered at 38.3 degrees latitude, 60.5 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 295.0 km (184.4 miles). At this distance the image scale is 29.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~89 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:28 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 54 degrees, thus the sun was about 36 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 155.5 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
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Dissected Mantled Terrain
Dissected Mantled Terrain
Observation ID PSP_002917_2175
Release date 18 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
A northern mid-latitude scene consisting of craters, intercrater plains, and mantled material is seen in PSP_002917_2175.
The mantled material seen here covers much of the middle latitudes in both hemispheres of Mars; it has been visibly removed in some locations. It's called "mantled" because it looks as if it's just draped over, or mantling, the topography underneath.
The mantled material is what causes the craters to have a muted, softened appearance. It's thought to be ice-rich material deposited in a climate different from that of today.
The mantled unit is dissected here, meaning that is not pristine and has likely undergone modification since it was originally laid down. The intercrater plains have a pitted texture (see subimage; full resolution, approx. 200 m [218 yards]; 1131x1011, 3 MB) thought to be caused by water ice sublimating and leaving depressions behind.
Unlike that of Earth, the obliquity (tilt of the planet's rotation axis) of Mars changes wildly. Earth has the Moon to keep its axis stable, but Mars' satellites, Phobos and Deimos, are not massive enough to do the same.
Today Mars' obliquity (25.19°) is similar to that of Earth's (23.45°), but this has not always been the case. As the obliquity changes, the portions of Mars that receive the most sunlight shift. During periods of high obliquity, polar regions receive the most sunlight. This causes polar ices, including water ice and carbon dioxide ice, to sublimate (evaporate) into the atmosphere. They would then potentially be re-deposited in the mid-latitudes, similar to where this image is located. It is believed that this process is responsible for the mid-latitude mantled unit.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_002917_2175 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 11-Mar-2007. The complete image is centered at 37.0 degrees latitude, 5.3 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 295.6 km (184.7 miles). At this distance the image scale is 29.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~89 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:34 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 67 degrees, thus the sun was about 23 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 198.5 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
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Dust Fans on the Seasonal Carbon Dioxide Polar Cap
Dust Fans on the Seasonal Carbon Dioxide Polar Cap
Observation ID PSP_003180_0945
Release date 18 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
During the long dark night of Martian winter at the south pole, carbon dioxide (CO2) in its solid form (also known as "dry ice") accumulates and forms a seasonal polar cap.
HiRISE is currently observing southern spring on Mars. As the sun comes up in the spring, the ice evaporates in a complex way. HiRISE image PSP_003180_0945 shows dark dust being blown across the seasonal south polar cap. The dust comes from the surface beneath the ice: it either starts at spots bare of ice, or it's possible that it's lofted from below the ice in geyser-like plumes.
Local winds blow the dust from its source, forming a long fan. When the wind changes direction, a new fan is formed, pointing in the new direction (see subimage 2; full resolution, approx. 800 meters [1/2 mile] across; 1451x953, 4 MB). In this single image we can see that the wind has blown in a number of directions (see subimage 1; not full resolution, approx. 4 km [2.5 miles] across; 1012x815, 2 MB). This data will be used to study weather patterns near the south pole.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003180_0945 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 01-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -85.4 degrees latitude, 104.1 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 264.4 km (165.2 miles). At this distance the image scale is 52.9 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~159 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel . The image was taken at a local Mars time of 08:08 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 80 degrees, thus the sun was about 10 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 210.8 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
QUOTE(Waspie_Dwarf @ Apr 18 2007, 08:27 PM) [snapback]1636143[/snapback]
During the long dark night of Martian winter at the south pole, carbon dioxide (CO2) in its solid form (also known as "dry ice") accumulates and forms a seasonal polar cap.
HiRISE is currently observing southern spring on Mars. As the sun comes up in the spring, the ice evaporates in a complex way. HiRISE image PSP_003180_0945 shows dark dust being blown across the seasonal south polar cap. The dust comes from the surface beneath the ice: it either starts at spots bare of ice, or it's possible that it's lofted from below the ice in geyser-like plumes.
HiRISE is currently observing southern spring on Mars. As the sun comes up in the spring, the ice evaporates in a complex way. HiRISE image PSP_003180_0945 shows dark dust being blown across the seasonal south polar cap. The dust comes from the surface beneath the ice: it either starts at spots bare of ice, or it's possible that it's lofted from below the ice in geyser-like plumes.
some of these surface features are becoming more and more bizarre as the images from MRO continue to roll in.....hopefully we can learn some things from recently aquired MGS data that will enable them to squeeze 10 plus years of science out of this one .......B
HiRise Operations Center
Scarp and Channels in a Crater in Terra Cimmeria
Scarp and Channels in a Crater in Terra Cimmeria
Observation ID PSP_001936_1370
Release date 25 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Image PSP_001936_1370 shows a crater in Terra Cimmeria, approximately 10 km (6 miles) in diameter. The roughly concentric ridges and throughs in this crater's floor are known as "concentric crater fill," and probably result from compression caused by viscous flow of a thick mixture of rocks, soils, and ice inward from the crater's walls.
This and other examples of concentric crater fill occur at high latitudes, where theoretical calculations indicate that ice may exist under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil.
This image's cutout (180 x 560 m, or 200 x 600 yards; 713x2241 pixels, 5 MB) shows a small portion of the crater's north-looking wall; downhill is up, illumination is from the left. In the lower part of the cutout a relatively harder, rocky layer protrudes from the crater's wall; some blocks broke up from it and fell down the slope. Loose soils accumulated behind these blocks (uphill), forming what looks like bright-colored tails. The crater's floor, in the upper part of the cutout, is covered here by elongated dunes. A channel 7 to 20 m (7.5 to 22 yards) wide cuts deeply into the crater's wall; it is unclear if this channel was carved by a fluid or by landslides.
The channel is cut by a younger scarp (shown with yellow arrows pointing downhill) which approximately separates the crater's wall from its floor. This cliff can be followed for more than 3 km (2 miles) along the southern part of the crater's floor. Elsewhere in this image channels similar to the one shown here cut through (and, therefore, are younger than) the scarp, extending inside the crater's floor. This scarp may have been produced by settling of the crater's floor, maybe due to flow of ice, soil, and rocks towards the center of the crater, and/or to sublimation of underground ice.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_001936_1370 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 25-Dec-2006. The complete image is centered at -42.7 degrees latitude, 158.5 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 251.6 km (157.3 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 25.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 50.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning). The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:47 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 74 degrees, thus the sun was about 16 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 155.9 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
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Gullies in Trough near Gorgonum Chaos
Gullies in Trough near Gorgonum Chaos
Observation ID PSP_002014_1415
Release date 25 April 2007
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PSP_002014_1415 shows gullies in a trough that is near Gorgonum Chaos, a region filled with gullies.
The trough gullies, like many of the gullies on nearby Gorgonum Chaos mesas, appear to originate at a distinct layer. There are mounds within the trough that have layers exposed near their peaks. The layers in the mound (see subimage, approximately 230 m across; 944x1034 pixels, 950 KB) and on the trough walls are resistant, meaning they do not break up mostly into small particles that the wind can easily carry away. Instead, they are breaking up into boulders up to several meters wide that HiRISE can see. (The fact that the layers are eroding as boulders tells us that the material is not easily broken up into smaller and smaller pieces, so it is therefore termed "resistant to erosion.") However, it is not completely resistant to erosion as we can see by the boulders rolling down the slopes.
Gullies are thought by many to require liquid water to form. A major debate is whether this water comes from the surface (i.e., melting surface ice or melting snow) or the subsurface (i.e., from an aquifer). Gullies are often found to originate at layers, like those seen here. The subsurface water theory states that water travels under the surface to slope faces where it flows down the slope to form gullies. Visible layers are suggested to be impermeable, such that water cannot penetrate them, which is why the gullies originate from beneath the layers.
Often gullies will originate between layers, which suggests that there is a permeable layer trapped between impermeable layers. It is also possible that the layer preferentially traps ice or snow that may melt to form gullies, thus providing a surface source of water to form the gullies.
Please note that the stripe-like features on the left side of the image are camera artifacts and not real features.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_002014_1415 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 31-Dec-2006. The complete image is centered at -38.2 degrees latitude, 188.8 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 255.7 km (159.8 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 25.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 51.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning). The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:48 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 71 degrees, thus the sun was about 19 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 159.1 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
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Craters on South Polar Layered Deposits
Craters on South Polar Layered Deposits
Observation ID PSP_002882_0940
Release date 25 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
This subimage, about 2.5 km across, shows the south polar layered deposits exposed in a scarp illuminated from the lower right. (Please note: this subimage is 8349x8400 pixels; 66 MB.)
This image was taken in the southern spring, when the surface was completely covered by carbon dioxide frost. Therefore, most of the brightness variations in this scene are caused by topography.
The polar layered deposits are broken into blocks by fractures in two directions. Neither set of fractures is parallel to the current scarp face, suggesting that they were not formed as the scarp was eroded, but instead are due to pre-existing weaknesses in the polar layered deposits.
The four craters at lower left appear to have formed at the same time by an impactor that broke up as it entered the Martian atmosphere. The presence of many craters such as these on the south polar layered deposits indicates that they are not as young as the north polar layered deposits, which have very few craters on them.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_002882_0940 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 08-Mar-2007. The complete image is centered at -85.9 degrees latitude, 303.4 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 246.9 km (154.3 miles). At this distance the image scale is 24.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~74 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel . The image was taken at a local Mars time of 07:06 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 84 degrees, thus the sun was about 6 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 196.9 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
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Kaiser Crater Dune Field
Kaiser Crater Dune Field
Observation ID PSP_003141_1330
Release date 25 April 2007
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Image PSP_003141_1330 shows a sand dune field in Kaiser Crater, a 210 km (130 miles) wide impact basin in the Hellespontus region of Mars.
Winds have trapped massive quantities of sand on the floors of broad craters in this region. The steepest slopes on each dune, the slip faces, point to the east indicating that the dominant wind direction in this part of the dune field is from west to east. Patches of seasonal frost can be seen in the low areas between the dunes.
The subimage reveals smaller secondary dunes superimposed on the surface of the large dunes and even smaller ripples that appear between and perpendicular to the secondary dunes. Avalanching or mass movement of sand has left deep scars on the slip face of the large dune in the upper left portion of the subimage. This may indicate that the sand is not loose but is weakly cemented.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003141_1330 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 29-Mar-2007. The complete image is centered at -46.6 degrees latitude, 19.3 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 263.9 km (164.9 miles). At this distance the image scale is 26.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~79 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:43 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 58 degrees, thus the sun was about 32 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 209.0 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Southern Spring
Southern Spring
Observation ID PSP_003193_0850
Release date 25 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Southern spring sunshine is causing the seasonal carbon dioxide cap at the south pole to evaporate. This process happens fitfully, as small and large spots expose bare ground, which warms up, causing small spots to grow.
The defrosting areas are controlled by small scale differences in topography, which cause some areas of frost to be sheltered longer than others. Once dust has accessed the surface it is blown in directions controlled by the local winds, making a distinctive fan. When the wind changes direction the fans broaden or may show multiple orientations.
It has also been proposed that dust is carried to the top of translucent seasonal carbon dioxide ice by release of gas held under pressure by the ice cap. When the pressure is released, like pulling the cork out of a champagne bottle, the gas escapes, carrying dust with it.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003193_0850 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 02-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -85.2 degrees latitude, 180.0 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 248.1 km (155.0 miles). At this distance the image scale is 49.6 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~149 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel . The image was taken at a local Mars time of 12:49 AM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 82 degrees, thus the sun was about 8 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 211.4 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Layered Deposits in Ritchey Crater
Layered Deposits in Ritchey Crater
Observation ID PSP_003249_1510
Release date 25 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
This HiRISE image shows eroding layered deposits in Ritchey Crater, a large impact crater in the southern highlands.
Three general units can be seen: a relatively dark upper layer, a light middle unit, and the floor material, which may be mostly obscured by dust. The dark cap layer appears to be relatively hard and resistant, while the light material is weak. Once the upper layer is removed, the light layer does not last long.
The cutout from the top center part of the image shows this stack (2196x1442; 3 MB). The dark unit is thin and breaking into boulders. The light material is actually divided into smaller layers, and is pervasively fractured. However, the boulders falling from the edge are mostly small and rarely remain intact if they move more than a few meters. The cracking of the layer could be due to water loss from the layer, or to regional tectonic effects such as stresses from burial and erosion. The base unit is partially covered by wind-blown ripples.
It is unclear how each of these layers formed. Volcanic ash layers, lake or stream deposits, or sandstone deposited by dunes can all produce horizontal layers. Unraveling the origin would provide important clues to Mars' past.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003249_1510 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 06-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -28.5 degrees latitude, 309.4 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 259.1 km (161.9 miles). At this distance the image scale is 25.9 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~78 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:40 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 53 degrees, thus the sun was about 37 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 214.1 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Alluvial Fan Along a Crater Wall
Alluvial Fan Along a Crater Wall
Observation ID PSP_003269_1600
Release date 25 April 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
HiRISE image PSP_003269_1600 covers an alluvial fan along the wall of a large crater in the mid latitudes of the southern hemisphere of Mars.
The fan was formed when water and sediments drained down the steep wall of the crater creating a cone-shaped pile of debris at the base. As the fan grew with time, the channels carrying water and sediment across the fan surface changed locations, producing a layered deposit capped by channels radiating from the fan apex along the crater wall.
Subsequent stripping of the fan surface by the wind has left the coarser channel deposits in relief and exposed the fine scale layering within the fan in many locations. While is it is not known whether the source of the water responsible for creating the fan was related runoff from precipitation or groundwater or perhaps both, alluvial fans of broadly similar form are observed in many locations on Earth and are usually formed by runoff from precipitation.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003269_1600 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 08-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -19.9 degrees latitude, 123.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 258.6 km (161.6 miles). At this distance the image scale is 25.9 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~78 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:42 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 53 degrees, thus the sun was about 37 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 215.1 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Proposed MSL Site in Eberswalde Crater
Proposed MSL Site in Eberswalde Crater
Observation ID PSP_003222_1565
Release date 02 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
HiRISE image of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in Eberswalde Crater.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003222_1565 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 04-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -23.2 degrees latitude, 326.8 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 260.1 km (162.6 miles). At this distance the image scale is 26.0 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~78 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:44 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 54 degrees, thus the sun was about 36 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 212.8 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Proposed MSL Site in Nilo Syrtis
Proposed MSL Site in Nilo Syrtis
Observation ID PSP_003231_2095
Release date 02 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
HiRISE image of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in Nilo Syrtis.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003231_2095 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 05-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at 29.3 degrees latitude, 73.3 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 290.3 km (181.4 miles). At this distance the image scale is 29.0 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~87 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:28 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 66 degrees, thus the sun was about 24 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 213.3 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Pedestal Crater in the Medusa Fossae Formation
Pedestal Crater in the Medusa Fossae Formation
Observation ID PSP_003253_1880
Release date 02 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
This image shows a pedestal crater located in a geologic unit on Mars called the Medusa Fossae Formation.
Pedestal craters are produced by differential erosion around impact craters. If the ejecta (material thrown out of the crater) is more resistant to erosion, then the crater and surrounding ejecta will be preserved while the surface is eroded nearby. This causes the ejecta blanket surrounding the crater to form a "pedestal," standing out in relief rather than gradually merging into its surroundings.
There appear to be at least two resistant layers in the material around this pedestal crater, as there are two "steps" in the topography of the pedestal. The cutout (2196x1442, 3 MB), from the long ridge near the top center of the image, shows these steps as well as possible smaller-scale layering.
Despite the detail resolved by HiRISE, it is not clear why the step-forming layers are more resistant. Much of the scene is coated with a mantle of dust which obscures details. Dark slope streaks, likely produced by small avalanches in the dust, are common here. Dust deposition and erosion are also likely the reason for the scalloped texture of mantling material in the crater.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003253_1880 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 06-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at 7.7 degrees latitude, 196.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 276.8 km (173.0 miles). At this distance the image scale is 55.4 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~166 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:35 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 58 degrees, thus the sun was about 32 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 214.3 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Valleys on the Ejecta Blanket from Cerulli Crater
Valleys on the Ejecta Blanket from Cerulli Crater
Observation ID PSP_003312_2145
Release date 02 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
HiRISE image PSP_003312_2145 reveals valleys that cross the ejecta from the large impact crater Cerulli to the south.
The valleys appear to have been cut by flowing water and then buried by later deposits of unknown origin, possibly carried in by the wind. While it is clear that the valleys are younger than the ejecta and older than at least some of the mantling materials, the exact time they were formed is uncertain.
For example, it is possible that the valleys were carved immediately after Cerulli crater formed, as has been inferred for some other valleys around craters imaged elsewhere on Mars by HiRISE. Alternatively, the valleys may have formed some time after the crater formed, perhaps as a result of water released from an earlier mantling deposit.
A second image is planned for this area and will yield three-dimensional information from stereo that may help to resolve the timing and source of water responsible for carving the valleys.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003312_2145 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 11-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at 34.0 degrees latitude, 21.8 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 293.0 km (183.2 miles). At this distance the image scale is 29.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~88 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:27 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 70 degrees, thus the sun was about 20 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 217.1 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Proposed MSL Site in Juventae Chasma
Proposed MSL Site in Juventae Chasma
Observation ID PSP_003368_1755
Release date 02 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
HiRISE image of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in Juventae Chasma.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003368_1755 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 15-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -4.5 degrees latitude, 297.9 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 268.1 km (167.6 miles). At this distance the image scale is 26.8 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~80 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:34 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 54 degrees, thus the sun was about 36 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 219.8 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Dark-Toned Ridges in Meridiani
Dark-Toned Ridges in Meridiani
Observation ID PSP_003379_1835
Release date 02 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
This HiRISE image is along the rim of an impact crater in Meridiani and shows a lighter-toned base unit with more resistant dark-toned ridges on top.
Both units exhibit complex fracture patterns. Also evident are old dune fields that have been solidified and then fractured, as well as younger, non-solidified dune fields.
More recently, the entire area has been deeply eroded by the wind.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003379_1835 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 16-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at 3.3 degrees latitude, 357.1 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 271.6 km (169.7 miles). At this distance the image scale is 27.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~82 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:34 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 56 degrees, thus the sun was about 34 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 220.3 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Signs of Fluids and Ice in Acidalia Planitia
Signs of Fluids and Ice in Acidalia Planitia
Observation ID PSP_001942_2310
Release date 09 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Image PSP_001942_2310 shows a crater approximately 11 km (7 miles) in diameter, located in Acidalia Planitia, part of the Northern Plains. Several features in and around this crater are suggestive of fluids and ice at and near the surface.
The south-looking (or equator facing) walls of this crater are cut by numerous gullies such as the ones shown in this image's cutout (500 x 600 m or 550 x 650 yards; 2040x2448 pixels, 15 MB), with well developed alcoves, sinuous channels, and terminal fan deposits. These gullies seem to originate at the same height, suggesting that the carving agent may have emanated from one single layer exposed in the crater's wall.
Contrastingly, no gullies are observed in the north-looking (or pole facing) wall of this crater. Terrestrial gullies very similar to the ones shown in this image are produced by surface water. The arrows in the cutout show fissures that may indicate detachment of surficial materials possibly held together by subsurface ice, sliding en masse down the crater's wall.
The muted topography of the crater and its surroundings, the relatively shallow floor (300 m or 330 yards), the convex slope of its walls—all are consistent with ice being present under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. Ice would have acted as a lubricant, facilitating the flow of rocks and soils and hence smoothing landscape's features such as ridges and craters' rims.
The concentric and radial fissures in the crater's floor may indicate decrease of volume due to loss of underground ice. Piles of rocks aligned along these fissures and arranged forming polygons are similar to features observed in terrestrial periglacial regions such as Antarctica. Antarctica's features are produced by repeated expansion and contraction of subsurface soil and ice, due to seasonal temperature oscillations. The funnel-shaped depressions visible in the crater's floor could be collapse pits, further evidence of ice decay; alternatively, they could be smoothed-out impact craters.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_001942_2310 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 25-Dec-2006. The complete image is centered at 50.7 degrees latitude, 341.6 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 305.9 km (191.2 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 30.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 61.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning). The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:23 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 58 degrees, thus the sun was about 32 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 156.1 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Proposed MSL Site in Gale Crater
Proposed MSL Site in Gale Crater
Observation ID PSP_003453_1750
Release date 09 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
HiRISE image of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in Gale Crater.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003453_1750 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 22-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -4.6 degrees latitude, 137.4 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 270.4 km (169.0 miles). At this distance the image scale is 27.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~81 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:32 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 53 degrees, thus the sun was about 37 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 223.9 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Layers in Galle Crater
Layers in Galle Crater
Observation ID PSP_002655_1280
Release date 16 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
This image shows part of a large mass of layered rock in Galle Crater, in the southern cratered highlands of Mars.
At low resolution, layers appear as bands and swirls which are nearly horizontal. This causes them to interact dramatically with topography, producing the appearance of folds and loops wrapping around small hills much like lines on a contour map. Zooming in at higher resolution, some long cracks (hundreds of meters long) are cutting across the layers, generally trending northeast-southwest.
At full resolution, details of the layers are often obscured by ripples of wind-blown dust or textured patterns of erosion now eroding the rock. In the best exposures, such as that in the cutout section (2196x1442, 3 MB) the layers are fractured into blocks. Some of the layers are relatively resistant, and appear as ridges or fins in the cutout, often with little material supporting them from below. Although this seems to indicate relatively strong, coherent material, few boulders are visible. The ridge-forming layers may be weak, but separated by material with virtually no cohesion.
Polygonal fracture patterns in the dark regolith between distinct layers could be due to ground ice, or regional tectonic stresses.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_002655_1280 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 19-Feb-2007. The complete image is centered at -51.8 degrees latitude, 330.0 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 256.3 km (160.2 miles). At this distance the image scale is 25.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~77 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:54 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 69 degrees, thus the sun was about 21 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 186.6 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Slope Streak South of Olympus Mons
Slope Streak South of Olympus Mons
Observation ID PSP_003239_1870
Release date 16 May 2007
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Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Image PSP_003239_1870 reveals slope streaks in an area south of Olympus Mons in the northern hemisphere of Mars.
These features are found along the slopes of impact craters, buttes, knobs, ridges, and troughs on Mars. Streaks generally start at a point source and widen downslope, traveling over and sometimes around various obstacles.
The subimage shows a very wide dark slope that has developed small fingers at its termius. The dark slope streak does not appear to have relief and does not disturb the pre-existing surface leaving the underlying topography intact beneath its dark trail. This can be seen particularly well near the streak termination. There are also no observable deposits of displaced materials along the terminus.
Surrounding the dark slope streak are multiple ~1 meter deep, triangular faceted scars left behind from avalanched slope materials. The high standing remnant surfaces on either side of the lower scarred surface are clearly visible. Avalanche scars are sometimes found in areas where slope streaks have formed but they are believed to be unrelated. The trail of the dark slope streak appears to cross over the avalanche scars suggesting that the slope streak formed more recently.
Slope streak formation is among the few known processes currently active on Mars. While their mechanism of formation and triggering is debated, they are most commonly believed to form by downslope movement of extremely dry sand or very fine-grained dust in an almost fluidlike manner (analogous to a terrestrial snow avalanche) exposing darker underlying material.
Other ideas include the triggering of slope streak formation by possible concentrations of near-surface ice or scouring of the surface by running water from aquifers intercepting slope faces, briny liquid flows, dry granular flow, mixed water-dust flows, and/or hydrothermal activity.
Observation Geometry
Image PSP_003239_1870 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 05-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at 7.1 degrees latitude, 218.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 274.5 km (171.6 miles). At this distance the image scale is 54.9 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~165 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:35 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 57 degrees, thus the sun was about 33 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 213.6 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Source: HiROC
HiRise Operations Center
Evros Vallis and Nearby Craters
Evros Vallis and Nearby Craters
Observation ID PSP_0032