HiRISE | Of Swirls and Gullies (ESP_021899

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

Of Swirls and Gullies
ESP_021899_1095 Science Theme: Aeolian Processes

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The dune gullies at edge of this field and here in this cutout appear active and are anomalous in their location (the high latitudes).

Tracking definitive changes will be useful in comparison with dune gully activity visible in southern mid-latitudes and the northern polar erg. The activity is thought to occur soon after the beginning of the defrosting period.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this observation are the beautiful swirls of tracks left by dust devils. Like on Earth, dust devils move across the Martian surface, exposing the underlying darker material.

This caption is based on the original science rationale.

Written by: HiRISE Science Team (2 May 2011)

Acquisition date
29 March 2011

Local Mars time
15:26

Latitude (centered)
-70.340°

Longitude (East)
178.199°

Spacecraft altitude
249.1 km (154.8 miles)

Original image scale range
25.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~75 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
6.9°

Phase angle
49.0°

Solar incidence angle
54°, with the Sun about 36° above the horizon

Solar longitude
264.0°, Northern Autumn

For non-map projected images
North azimuth: 100°
Sub-solar azimuth: 37.7°

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IRB color
map projected  non-map

Merged IRB
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Merged RGB
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RGB color
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JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (777MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (297MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected (328MB)
non-map           (502MB)

IRB color
map projected (135MB)
non-map           (407MB)

Merged IRB
map projected (181MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected (174MB)

RGB color
non map           (403MB)

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.