Enigmatic Sinuous Features in Louth Crater Ice Mound
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Enigmatic Sinuous Features in Louth Crater Ice Mound
ESP_018301_2505  Science Theme: Seasonal Processes
This HiRISE image shows a large ice mound located in Louth Crater. At this locale, this is the lowest latitude permanent deposit of water ice on Mars.

The HiRISE image, taken in early summer, shows details of the mound and non-ice portions of the crater floor. The mound is characterized by rough textures and layering similar to features seen on the north polar layered deposits near the Martian North Pole. Zooming in to an area in the southeast part of the mound, dark sinuous ridges are apparent.

These may be the crests of partially defrosted dark sand dunes or perhaps some other feature that we do not understand. This is the only area on Louth where these enigmatic ridges are found.

Written by: Nathan Bridges  (4 August 2010)
 
Acquisition date
22 June 2010

Local Mars time
14:55

Latitude (centered)
70.196°

Longitude (East)
103.047°

Spacecraft altitude
314.9 km (195.7 miles)

Original image scale range
31.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~95 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
3.1°

Phase angle
50.3°

Solar incidence angle
53°, with the Sun about 37° above the horizon

Solar longitude
108.0°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  99°
Sub-solar azimuth:  330.1°
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non-map           (391MB)

IRB color
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non-map           (358MB)

Merged IRB
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Merged RGB
map-projected  (253MB)

RGB color
non map           (303MB)
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8K (TIFF)
10K (TIFF)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Color label
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Merged RGB label
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NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
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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.