Unexplained Mysteries Discussion Forums > Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 10:46 AM

HiRise Operations Center
Pits, Cracks, and Polygons in Western Utopia Planitia

Observation ID PSP_002202_2250

SCIENCE THEME
Landscape Evolution

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 2598 (2.0 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 2794 (1.9 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
30509 x 38705 (618.6 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
30509 x 38705 (118.8 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Utopia Planitia is part of the great northern lowlands of Mars, where there may have been an ancient ocean.

The pits, cracks, and polygons in Utopia have been interpreted as due to some combination of temperature variations in ice-rich ground, sublimation of ground ice, and collapse into subsurface voids.

This HiRISE image reveals many new details, including an abundance of boulders about 1 meter in diameter over the entire region (see the subimage, 2357 x 1486; 10MB). The infrared color of HiRISE reveals two types of materials: the brighter and yellowish areas are probably dusty and the darker and bluer areas are probably coarser particles--sand and rocks.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 10:56 AM

HiRise Operations Center
Bullseye Crater in Elysium Planitia

Observation ID PSP_003398_1910

SCIENCE THEME
Volcanic Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4655 (2.8 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 4851 (2.6 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
30612 x 69592 (1150.1 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
30612 x 69592 (214.3 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

This HiRISE images allows us to see this unusual geologic feature in three dimensions (2000 x 2000; 11MB).

The sequence of events that formed this scene in the equatorial lowlands of Mars are as follows. First, a meteorite impact excavated the 2.2 kilometer (1.4 mile) diameter crater in the center of the picture. Second, the area was flooded by a vast lava flow. However, the lava was not able to overtop the rim of the crater and it remained a large depression.

Third, the area was blanketed by a series of layers of small particles carried by the wind. This deposit makes up what is called the Medusae Fossae Formation and may be composed of volcanic ash. Finally, the Medusae Fossae Formation was largely eroded away by the wind. However, the deposits within the crater were protected from the wind and have remained to this day.

The hills outside the crater are also remnants of the Medusae Fossae Formation.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 11:06 AM

HiRise Operations Center
Faults and Channels on Elysium Mons

Observation ID PSP_003426_2035

SCIENCE THEME
Tectonic Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4521 (1.9 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 4717 (1.9 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
32095 x 70863 (1071.2 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
32095 x 70863 (228.7 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Elysium Mons is a large shield volcano on the opposite side of Mars from Olympus Mons and the other giant Tharsis volcanoes. Like its siblings in Tharsis, Elysium Mons is covered with lava flows.

The lower parts of Elysium Mons are also cut by large sinuous channels (or "rilles"). Features like these can be found on the Moon, where they were carved by lava. On Mars, there has been some suggestion that water, rather than lava, was responsible for the erosion.

This HiRISE image is covers a location where three different sinuous rilles (running generally west to east) come together and are then cut by a pair of faults (running roughly north-south). The ground has pulled apart and dropped down in between these two faults, forming a depression that geologists call a "graben."?? Where there was more focused ground collapse, small depressions (or "pit craters") formed. The thick coating of dust makes it hard to tell what fluid last ran through the sinuous rilles in this location. However, the layers of hard rock that can be occasionally seen poking through the dust indicate that what they eroded, was a stack of lava flows.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 11:25 AM

HiRise Operations Center
Flood Lavas Passing through a Narrow Pass in Western Elysium Planitia

Observation ID PSP_003532_1845

SCIENCE THEME
Volcanic Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 5653 (2.3 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 5849 (2.3 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
16209 x 44741 (359.8 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
16209 x 44741 (72.9 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Giant floods of lava have covered much of the equatorial lowlands of Mars in the recent geological past. One such flood of lava passed through the narrow gap near the center of this HiRISE image.

The pass is only 2.3 km (1.4 miles) wide, yet the flows went on for another 500 km (300 miles) to the west. As the lava passed through the narrows, the surface of the flow became crumpled and broken, producing a rough surface. To the southeast, the flow moved more gently and the crust was slowly pushed up by liquid lava injected into the freezing lava flow.

Small irregular cones along the margins of the flow were created by explosions as water or ice underneath the lava flow boiled. While lava flows approaching this size have formed on Earth, the rapid erosion on our planet has destroyed the upper surfaces of the lava flows. Mars provides an extremely valuable opportunity to study aspects of giant lava flows that cannot be seen on Earth.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 11:42 AM

HiRise Operations Center
Spectacular Gullies Near Gorgonum Chaos

Observation ID PSP_003583_1425

SCIENCE THEME
Fluvial Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4630 (2.0 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 4826 (2.0 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
28116 x 63567 (976.2 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
28116 x 63567 (179.7 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

PSP_003583_1425 shows incredible details of a crater with gullies that provides strong evidence for gully formation involving fluid flow.

Of note is the variety of gully morphologies along the crater walls. The north and west walls have gullies, while the south wall has only landslides. "Mass wasting" is the more general term geologists use to describe landslides, slumps, and other movements of the ground in response to gravity. It usually occurs on steep slopes when the force of gravity causes weak or loose material to travel downslope. Mass wasting produces structures that are sometimes similar to gully channels, but which can usually be distinguished by their occurrence
on steep slopes.

The gullies on the north wall have eroded all the way to the crater rim. They appear older than other nearby gullies because they have existed long enough to be modified by permafrost processes as evidenced by the polgyonal fractures found on some of the channel and inter-gully walls. Another noticeable difference among the gullies is channel lengths. The gullies on the north wall and the group just to the left of these have much shorter channels than the gullies on the northwest wall. It is possible that the gullies with shorter channels had less fluid flow through their systems. The gullies appear to originate around a sequence of rocky layers near the crater rim.

Many of the gully channels appear to have boulders littered throughout (see subimage, approximately 640 m across; 2550 x 2000, 14MB). This is suggestive of a fluid flowing in these channels; a fluid would preferentially transport smaller particles and leave behind the larger ones, such as the boulders seen here. There are many overprinted small channels in each gully, as can be seen in the subimage. These are indicative of multiple flow events such that some channels experience flow, then are abandoned.

The subimage also shows several channels merging. Particularly interesting is the channel flowing from the top of the scene. There are several intertwining channels that merge into one just to the right of the center of the subimage. However, the way some channels truncate others suggests that there were at least three episodes of flow through this area.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 12:22 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Sample of the Olympus Mons

Observation ID PSP_003595_2115

SCIENCE THEME
Mass Wasting Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4616 (1.8 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 4812 (1.8 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
31895 x 71898 (1263.9 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
31895 x 71898 (230.6 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

This image samples the rugged central portion of the mysterious "aureole" that extends to the west and north of Olympus Mons.

While many ideas for its formation have been advanced over the decades, these days it is generally thought to be a giant landslide deposit. The scene here fits that model with kilometer-scale (mile-sized) rocky hummocks and blocks strewn about. The blocks themselves are now covered with dust that is slumping off in small landslides or avalanches. These leave dark streaks on the sides of the blocks.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 12:36 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Landslides along the Walls of Bahram Vallis

Observation ID PSP_003605_2015

SCIENCE THEME
Mass Wasting Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4976 (1.7 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 5172 (1.7 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
34448 x 83698 (1438.6 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
34448 x 83698 (290.0 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Landslides are one of the most spectacular mass wasting features on Mars in terms of their areal extent and volume. Some of the best preserved landslides are in the Valles Marineris canyon system, but that's not the only place we see evidence for landslides.

This image of Bahram Vallis, a valley along the edges of the circum-Chyrse Basin, has large mounds of material at the base of the valley floor. These deposits of material are different from those deposits seen at Valles Marineris. They do not have a "ribbed" surface of transverse ridges. They also do not have a semi-circular distal margin giving it a lobate appearance and they have not travelled for many kilometers away from their source region like most Valles Marineris landslides do.

These particular deposits have the characteristic shape of rotational landslides or slumps on Earth where material along the entire wall slumps down and piles debris at the base of the slope, much like a person who slumps down the back of a chair. Right at the cliff edge at the top of the slope, the shape of the area where the valley wall gave way to a landslide is not straight, but rather curved or semi-circular. This is typical of large landslides where the failure area has an arcuate "crown" shape. The fact that landslides have occurred here indicates that the valley walls are not stable and the materials respond to Martian gravity with mass movements.

Scientists studying landslides can use these images along with topographic data to model how the wall failed, which can give clues to the nature of the materials (type, strength, etc.) in this region. Another consequence of landslide activity in Bahram Vallis is that the overall width of the valley will increase over time.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 12:53 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Strengths of Materials in Ganges Mensa

Observation ID PSP_003618_1725

SCIENCE THEME
Tectonic Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 5853 (3.4 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 6049 (3.3 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
34365 x 98223 (1756.8 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
34365 x 98223 (339.5 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

The amount of time that a geologic deposit is exposed at the surface can be measured by counting the number of impact craters that is contains in a given area. The longer a deposit is exposed at the surface the more impact events that it endures.

In this image, there are at least two distinct geologic units, a light–toned bedrock and a surface veneer of dark–toned material that contains sand dunes. The light–toned bedrock must be older that the dark–toned veneer of sand; the bedrock must have been present first in order to be covered by the sand. The dark–toned sand however, contains many more impact craters than the light–toned bedrock. This suggests that the surface of the bedrock is younger than the veneer of sand.

This can be explained by the bedrock being more easily eroded by the wind than the veneer of sand. The surface of the bedrock is rapidly refreshed (craters smoothed away), while the sand veneer retains impact craters for a longer period of time. This indicates that the bedrock is very friable (weak and easily eroded, in this case by the wind) and the sand veneer is less friable.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 01:05 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Lots of Layering in Becquerel Crater

Observation ID PSP_003656_2015

SCIENCE THEME
Geologic Contacts/Stratigraphy

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4629 (3.0 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 4825 (2.7 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
31261 x 70658 (1253.6 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
31261 x 70658 (222.1 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Becquerel Crater is one of several impact craters in Arabia Terra that have light-toned layered deposits along the crater floor. The light-toned deposits are particularly striking to look at in this HiRISE image because they are stacked together to produce a thick sequence of layered beds. The layers appear to be only a few meters thick and show little variations in thickness.

On Earth, layered beds with these characteristics are typically formed in water environments, although aeolian (wind blown) deposition on Mars through a cyclic process is also possible. Volcanic eruptions would not be expected to produce ash or volcanic flows of such regular thickness, and there are no nearby volcanic vents.

Some of the layering in the image appears dark, probably due to deposition of basalt sand along flatter surfaces rather than any compositional variations in the layer beds themselves. Faults can also be seen displacing portions of the layered beds. The surface of the light-toned deposit is not smooth but instead appears disrupted into polygonal cracks and blocks.

Relative to most surfaces on Mars, there are almost no impact craters seen in this image. This is not due to a young age but rather to the friable (easily eroded) nature of the light-toned layered deposits that enable wind easily to erode the unit, thereby removing any impact craters. Evidence of erosion by the wind is most apparent in the bottom of the image where linear ridges most likely formed by wind scouring away material in a north-south direction and creating the ridges.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 01:18 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Flow Obstructions and Wakes Southeast of Elysium

Observation ID PSP_003663_1775

SCIENCE THEME
Landscape Evolution

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 3476 (2.9 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 3672 (2.7 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
26860 x 45601 (812.3 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
26860 x 45601 (123.2 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

HiRISE image PSP_003663_1775 covers a portion of the Martian equatorial plains called Elysium Planitia. In this location, lava that was once flowing across the surface interacted with multiple obstructions.

The image is near the southern margin of where these flows occurred, and it is likely that the obstructions are small hills in the underlying surface that poked up through the flow. As the flowing material moved past the obstructions, piles of rocky debris banked up on the northwestern or upstream sides while long trails or "wakes" were left on the southeastern or downstream side. Changes in the direction of the "wakes" indicate that the direction of flow altered somewhat over time, and fractures across the surface show the top of the flow was carried along as a brittle "skin."

The rough and blocky nature of the material where it piles along obstructions and other attributes suggest the flowing material was lava and was part of a much larger and relatively young (by geologic standards) flow that occurred in this part of Mars.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 01:28 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Channel on the Southern Flanks of Ascraeus Mons

Observation ID PSP_003686_1865

SCIENCE THEME
Fluvial Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 3125 (2.0 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 3321 (1.9 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
25838 x 39428 (497.3 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
25838 x 39428 (102.5 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Ascraeus Mons is the northernmost of the three giant Tharsis Montes volcanoes, with large channels carved into the lower parts of its flanks.

There has been a long-standing debate whether these were eroded by flowing water or lava. The section seen in this HiRISE images favors the lava hypothesis, since the shapes of the "islands" in the channel are not as streamlined as would be expected from water erosion. Instead, they have the same shape as was seen in lava channels on the Earth, such as the early phases of the ongoing eruption of Kilauea volcano or the 1984 eruption of Mauna Loa volcano (both in Hawaii).

The very sharp bend in the channel is also uncommon for water carved channels and suggests that the erosion was taking advantage of weaknesses in the volcano caused by faults and fractures. Unfortunately, we cannot tell for sure what the fluid was because of the thick coating of dust. HiRISE reveals the intricate sculpting of this dust as the wind predominantly blows from northwest to southeast. However, in the channel, the wind generally runs down the channel, sometimes even going perpendicular to the wind outside it.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 7 2007, 01:37 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Where Water Once Flowed Over the Rim of Holden Crater

Observation ID PSP_003710_1530

SCIENCE THEME
Fluvial Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 6214 (2.5 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 6410 (2.4 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
31993 x 97077 (1515.5 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
31993 x 97077 (312.3 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

The formation of the approximately 150 km diameter Holden Crater interrupted the northward flowing Uzboi Vallis channel system. Relief associated with the rim of Holden effectively blocked the channel.

HiRISE image PSP_003710_1530 covers the portion of Holden Crater's rim where it was overtopped by water that had backed up in Uzboi Vallis to the south. Water flowing over the rim in multiple locations eventually focused on a single channel that then cut deeply into the rim. After the impounded water drained into the crater, the steep wall on the east side of the main channel collapsed in a landslide that remains visible along the floor. Several outcroppings of variably bright material are visible in the scar produced by the slide.

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 11 2007, 03:07 PM

CRISM Mulitspectral Map of Eastern Candor Chasma

Release date June 11, 2007
Latitude: 7.00 S
Longitude: 293.00 E

Click on image to enlarge.

This map of Eastern Candor Chasma, one of the deep valleys in Valles Marineris, was assembled from images taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) over the first five months of orbital operations around Mars. Besides obtaining high spatial resolution targeted observations, CRISM is also compiling a global map at approximately 200 meters (660 feet) per pixel. That map is taken in 72 key wavelengths out of CRISM's total of 545, which are most sensitive to the presence of different minerals on the surface and gases in the atmosphere. The map is acquired as thousands of individual strips, each about 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide. Over the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's two-year primary science phase, these mapping strips will cover nearly the entire planet, in a manner similar to covering a beach ball with many thousands of pieces of string.

The part of the map shown here is composed of 20 observations overlain on a Mars Digital Image Model (MDIM). Valles Marineris originally formed as a huge fracture system caused by tectonic stresses related to the formation of the nearby Tharsis volcanic province. The troughs within Valles Marineris have been extensively modified since formation; water, wind and volcanic processes have been suggested to cause infilling by layered deposits that are kilometers in thickness. The steep walls of Candor Chasma bound a very complex canyon floor, with overlapping mesas, landslides, layered deposits and sand dunes.

This mosaic shows the brightness of the surface at three infrared wavelengths (2.52 micrometers in the red image plane, 1.56 micrometers in the green image plane and 1.08 micrometers in the blue image plane). Blue-green areas are rich in hydrated minerals, while dusty areas are bluish. Those observations with a reddish cast were taken during a time of increased dust in the atmosphere. Mosaics like this can be used to look at the regional distribution of interesting mineralogy and can guide further high-resolution imaging.

The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) is one of six science instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Led by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the CRISM team includes expertise from universities, government agencies and small businesses in the United States and abroad.
CRISM's mission: Find the spectral fingerprints of aqueous and hydrothermal deposits and map the geology, composition and stratigraphy of surface features. The instrument will also watch the seasonal variations in Martian dust and ice aerosols, and water content in surface materials — leading to new understanding of the climate.

Credit: NASA/JPL/JHUAPL/Brown University

Source: CRISM

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 14 2007, 07:32 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Gullies and Layers

Observation ID PSP_002390_1320

SCIENCE THEME
Fluvial Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 2805 (1.3 MB))
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 3001 (1.3 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
11892 x 16289 (112.9 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
11892 x 16289 (19.5 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

PSP_002390_1320 shows gullies in a trough in Noachis Terra.

The trough is actually one section of a "trough crater." Here the term “trough crater” refers to a roughly circular trough that appears to follow the wall of a crater. A great deal of geologic activity is needed to transform an impact crater into a trough crater. First, the crater must have been filled in with some type of sediment. Second, the outer edge of the filling must have been scooped out by an unknown process, leaving a trough in the form of a ring inside the crater.

The trough in PSP_002390_1320 is located on the north wall of the southern end of the trough crater. Gullies can be seen to start at multiple levels on this wall. The Martian gullies are thought to require some amount of liquid water to form, although carbon dioxide and dry debris flows have also been suggested as erosional materials. The start of gullies across Mars are often correlated with layers as seen here. What is particularly interesting about these gullies is that the heads (tops) of the gullies are located at many elevations along the same slope, and that each elevation with gullies has an associated set of layers.

One thing to notice is that often a layer correlated with a gully is most eroded where the gully occurs. (See, for example, the gullies located in the bottom center of the image and the subimage, approximately 2 km across; 4000 x 3000, 11 MB). At the bottom center, there are two gullies present, and the layer where they appear to originate is most eroded where the gullies exist. In the subimage, the deeper gully channels correspond to locations where the layers have been more eroded. This suggests that undermining may be occurring. Undermining often happens when water from the subsurface reaches the surface and destabilizes nearby material. The water erodes material in its way, which can create an overhang. Once this overhang becomes unstable, it will collapse.

This might be the reason that the layers are the most eroded near the gullies. It would support a subsurface origin for the water that formed these gullies. Undermining can also be generated by surface water if a weak, easily erodible layer lies beneath a stronger layer.

For more information, see Gulick, V.C. et al. (2007), LPSC ***VIII, abs. 1338 and Gulick, V.C. et al. (2007), 7th International Conference on Mars, abs. 3371).

EDR Products for this observation

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

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 14 2007, 07:44 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Edge of Olympus Mons

Observation ID PSP_003476_1940

SCIENCE THEME
Volcanic Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 5309 (2.6 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 5505 (2.5 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
30438 x 78908 (1170.2 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
30438 x 78908 (241.5 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

This image captures a small piece of the southern edge of Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System.

A pair of deep valleys can be see in the middle of the image, probably formed by ancient landslides. However, more recent lava flows have entered into the valley. These lava flows traverse the floor of the valley and feed a broad fan of lava flows at the mouth. The dark streaks along the valley walls are locations where the bright dust has been removed by small dust avalanches.

EDR Products for this observation

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.The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey's ISIS3 software.

Source: HiROC

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 14 2007, 07:55 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Large Landslide Deposit

Observation ID PSP_003516_1540

SCIENCE THEME
Mass Wasting Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 5560 (2.1 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 5756 (2.1 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
15443 x 41928 (322.8 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
15443 x 41928 (65.1 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

This HiRISE image is centered on a large landslide which formed the large lobe at the base of the steep slope. This is material which was transported in a massive rock-slide.

The landslide has several ridge-and-trough lineations in the direction of the flow. These occur in similar landslides on Earth as well. Comparing these features on Mars with similar examples on Earth helps geologists better understand how they work on both planets.

In this case, the slide is relatively old. The material has many impact craters superimposed. The steep slope, which was the source of the landslide, has undergone further erosion, so the landslide source area is no longer clear.

EDR Products for this observation

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.The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey's ISIS3 software.

Source: HiROC

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 14 2007, 08:17 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Gullies Near the Head of Dao Vallis

Observation ID PSP_003824_1470

SCIENCE THEME
Volcanic Processes

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 3176 (1.9 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 3372 (1.8 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
28053 x 43509 (796.6 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
28053 x 43509 (122.7 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Dao Vallis is a giant canyon carved into the side of the ancient volcano Hadriaca Patera. Imaging locations such as this can allow HiRISE to see the insides of Martian volcanoes.

In this case, the valley wall is covered with a mantling deposit that has been cut in many places by gullies. Only faint traces of rocky layers are visible. These might be extensively eroded ancient lava flows.

One striking aspect of this image is the dearth of impact craters, and the underlying surface is very ancient. However, the mantling deposit is young (or renews itself quickly).

Features in this (and other HiRISE images of similar mantling deposits) complicate one of the many models for how gullies form. Based on lower resolution images, it was suggested that the head (or amphitheater) of the gullies was filled with dirty snow when Mars' climate was different. As the base of this snow pack melted, small rivulets of water would erode the gullies. The smooth mantling deposits found in the gullies were speculated to be patches of this snow that has survived to the present day.

However, HiRISE sees large boulders in these deposits which would be difficult to have in a snow pack.

EDR Products for this observation

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.The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey's ISIS3 software.

Source: HiROC

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 14 2007, 09:11 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Proposed MSL Site in East Melas Chasma

Observation ID PSP_003843_1680

SCIENCE THEME
Future Exploration/Landing Sites

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4368 (2.6 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 4564 (2.4 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
28557 x 60913 (1050.5 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
28557 x 60913 (174.9 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

HiRISE image of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in East Melas Chasma.

EDR Products for this observation

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.The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey's ISIS3 software.

Source: HiROC

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 14 2007, 09:21 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Proposed MSL Site in Iani Chaos

Observation ID PSP_003907_1780

SCIENCE THEME
Future Exploration/Landing Sites

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4106 (2.5 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 4302 (2.4 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
28178 x 56505 (1004.4 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
28178 x 56505 (160.1 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

HiRISE image of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in Iani Chaos.

EDR Products for this observation

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.The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey's ISIS3 software.

Source: HiROC

Waspie_Dwarf

Jun 14 2007, 09:37 PM

HiRise Operations Center
Proposed MSL Site in Eos Chasma

Observation ID PSP_003921_1690

SCIENCE THEME
Future Exploration/Landing Sites

Image Products
Browse version
2048 x 4084 (2.0 MB)
Browse with scalebar
2048 x 4280 (1.9 MB)

JPEG2000 FOR IAS VIEWER*
Full image
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
*IAS Viewer required. Click here.

JPEG2000 DOWNLOAD
Full image
28002 x 55847 (892.8 MB)
QuickLook (lossy compressed)
28002 x 55847 (157.3 MB)

Full PDS label information

Credit: Image NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

HiRISE image of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in Eos Chasma.

EDR Products for this observation

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.The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey's ISIS3 software.

Source: