HiRISE | Layered Mesa in Coprates Chasma (PSP_002036

NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Layered Mesa in Coprates Chasma
PSP_002036_1655 Science Theme: Sedimentary/Layering Processes

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This observation shows a mesa within Coprates Chasma, a large trough in the Valles Marineris canyon system. Multiple layers, some only a few meters in thickness, are visible on the slopes descending from the edges of the flat-topped mesa.

The layered rocks could have formed from volcanic, lacustrine, or aeolian sediments that were deposited in portions of the Valles Marineris trough. Variations in the brightness of the layers may represent compositional differences. In particular, the slopes contain a prominent layer of dark material that is seemingly composed of materials more resistant to erosion than the overlying brighter layers.

Dunes and ripples can also visible on the top of the mesa.
Written by: Maria Banks (21 July 2010)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_003104_1655.

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Acquisition date:	02 January 2007	Local Mars time:	3:40 PM
Latitude (centered):	-14.4 degrees	Longitude (East):	304.2 degrees
Range to target site:	258.8 km (161.7 miles)	Original image scale range:	from 25.9 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 51.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning)
Map projected scale:	25 cm/pixel and North is up	Map projection:	EQUIRECTANGULAR
Emission angle:	2.3 degrees	Phase angle:	61.4 degrees
Solar incidence angle:	59 degrees, with the Sun about 31 degrees above the horizon	Solar longitude:	160.0 degrees, Northern Summer
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North azimuth:	97 degrees	Sub-solar azimuth:	24.4 degrees
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North azimuth:	270 degrees	Sub solar azimuth:	198.8 degrees

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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.