Hydrated Sulfate Landslides in Ophir Chasma
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Hydrated Sulfate Landslides in Ophir Chasma
PSP_007535_1755  Science Theme: Composition and Photometry
Giant landslides in Ophir Chasma host a variety of geologic surfaces and mineralogies. Some possess a variety of hydrated sulfate minerals that formed in the presence of partially acidic liquid water.

This image of an ancient, approximately 3 billion year-old landslide shows two distinct surface albedos, which are proportions of reflected light. These different toned surfaces also mark a transition from one sulfate mineralogy to another and variations in surface evolution.

The upper slopes to the north are light-toned due to an abundance of hydrated sulfate minerals and bright surface dust. The surfaces that make up the southern portions of the landslide are darker in tone due to the greater frequency of dark sediment that form strings of sand drifts. Additionally, the underlying units of bedrock consist of darker minerals with less hydration then those to the north, implying a change in the ancient aqueous environments that formed them.

Written by: Matthew Chojnacki  (20 November 2013)
 
Acquisition date
05 March 2008

Local Mars time
14:52

Latitude (centered)
-4.328°

Longitude (East)
288.657°

Spacecraft altitude
269.4 km (167.5 miles)

Original image scale range
27.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~81 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
6.3°

Phase angle
52.7°

Solar incidence angle
47°, with the Sun about 43° above the horizon

Solar longitude
40.9°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  32.3°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
map projected  non-map

Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (1016MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (443MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (505MB)
non-map           (553MB)

IRB color
map projected  (187MB)
non-map           (434MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (246MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (236MB)

RGB color
non map           (423MB)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

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.