Exposure of Basal Section of Polar Layered Deposits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Exposure of Basal Section of Polar Layered Deposits
PSP_006262_1080  Science Theme: Polar Geology
This observation shows internal layering exposed in a basal section (bottom part) of the polar layered deposits. The south polar layered deposits are composed primarily of water ice with a small amount of dust.

Variations in dust content most likely controls the erosion of the layers. The layers were laid down over a large area near the south pole, probably over the past few million years. They are believed to record recent global climate changes on Mars in much the same way that polar ice in Greenland and Antarctica provide information about varying climatic conditions on Earth.

Several layers appear to be truncated (see subimage) and most likely represent unconformities. Unconformities form when an episode of erosion that removes all or part of a layer is followed by more deposition.


Written by: Maria Banks  (19 December 2007)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_024010_1080.
 
Acquisition date
27 November 2007

Local Mars time
14:51

Latitude (centered)
-71.741°

Longitude (East)
140.624°

Spacecraft altitude
250.3 km (155.6 miles)

Original image scale range
50.1 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~150 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
0.2°

Phase angle
74.3°

Solar incidence angle
74°, with the Sun about 16° above the horizon

Solar longitude
353.8°, Northern Winter

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North azimuth:  100°
Sub-solar azimuth:  54.1°
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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.