Late Springtime Defrosting of Northern Dunes
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Late Springtime Defrosting of Northern Dunes
ESP_026226_2565  Science Theme: Seasonal Processes
This observation shows dunes in the Martian north polar sand sea (commonly referred to as the "north polar erg") in the process of defrosting.

Every winter, dunes and other surfaces at these northern latitudes are coated with several tens of centimeters of carbon dioxide frost and ice, plus a minor amount of water frost. Details of this process are particularly visible this subimage. The white material is fine grained frost.

The dark, splotchy tones on the dunes may be deposits of particulates deposited from carbon dioxide "geysers" or relatively thick deposits of carbon dioxide ice. The more brownish colors represent defrosted areas. Polygonal patterns on the surface of the dunes are probably cracks in overlying carbon dioxide ice.

Landslides on the dunes' lee slopes are apparent,with a morphology consistent with fluidization from carbon dioxide frost. This and other areas of the north polar region are being investigated by HiRISE to compare to changes in past years.



Written by: Nathan Bridges  (18 April 2012)
 
Acquisition date
01 March 2012

Local Mars time
14:21

Latitude (centered)
76.176°

Longitude (East)
95.376°

Spacecraft altitude
316.4 km (196.7 miles)

Original image scale range
31.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~95 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
1.7°

Phase angle
56.0°

Solar incidence angle
55°, with the Sun about 35° above the horizon

Solar longitude
77.2°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  103°
Sub-solar azimuth:  321.9°
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POSTSCRIPT
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. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.