Tell-Tale Rocks in Southern Acidalia Planitia
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Tell-Tale Rocks in Southern Acidalia Planitia
PSP_009708_2205  Science Theme: Volcanic Processes
The hilly landscape visible in this observation may appear at first rather bleak, due to the pervasive soils of uniform brightness blanketing most of the area. However, upon closer examination, an enhanced color image depicts in detail the rocky layers in one of these hills. These rocks contain clues pointing to a watery past.

The CRISM instrument on MRO has acquired data over this same region showing that the rocky outcrops contain clays. Clays of similar composition form in terrestrial environments favorable for life, where volcanic rocks are in close contact with water.

Written by: Sara Martinez-Alonso  (15 October 2008)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_009985_2205.
 
Acquisition date
21 August 2008

Local Mars time
15:14

Latitude (centered)
39.925°

Longitude (East)
347.263°

Spacecraft altitude
297.8 km (185.1 miles)

Original image scale range
30.8 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~92 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
15.4°

Phase angle
59.9°

Solar incidence angle
45°, with the Sun about 45° above the horizon

Solar longitude
116.0°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  358.0°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
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Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (1047MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (458MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (537MB)
non-map           (420MB)

IRB color
map projected  (158MB)
non-map           (336MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (277MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (266MB)

RGB color
non map           (321MB)
ANAGLYPHS
Map-projected, reduced-resolution
Full resolution JP2 download
Anaglyph details page

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.