HiRISE | Monitoring of Polar Avalanche Region (ESP_016292

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

Monitoring of Polar Avalanche Region
ESP_016292_2640 Science Theme: Climate Change

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This HiRISE image shows the scarp that demarcates the boundary between layered deposits covering the north polar region and the lower surrounding terrain, which includes sand dunes.

This image was taken in the northern hemisphere Martian spring, where it is still cold enough that white carbon dioxide frost covers most of the area. At about the same time in the previous Martian spring (February 2008), HiRISE caught four avalanches at this location.

This image does not show any active avalanches, but shows many avalanche deposits. Comparison of this new image with the one taken in 2008 will give an indication of activity over the last Martian year.

Written by: Nathan Bridges (3 March 2010)

Acquisition date
17 January 2010

Local Mars time
14:42

Latitude (centered)
83.827°

Longitude (East)
235.282°

Spacecraft altitude
316.8 km (196.9 miles)

Original image scale range
35.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~105 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
26.6°

Phase angle
52.9°

Solar incidence angle
70°, with the Sun about 20° above the horizon

Solar longitude
38.9°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth: 93°
Sub-solar azimuth: 310.6°

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   (2109MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (956MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected (795MB)
non-map           (553MB)

IRB color
map projected (232MB)
non-map           (563MB)

Merged IRB
map projected (504MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected (502MB)

RGB color
non map           (487MB)

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.