A Surprise Landslump in Melas Chasma
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
A Surprise Landslump in Melas Chasma
ESP_035028_1685  Science Theme: 
HiRISE has been monitoring the recurring slope lineae (RSL) over the mid-latitude and equatorial regions of Mars. One of these sites is a crater on the floor of Melas Chasma; and an animation shows how the RSL follow the sun, changing slope aspect with the seasons.

In one of our most recent images of this site, there was a surprise: a new dark streak just down slope from the RSL. This new streak is about 18 meters wide, whereas most RSL flows (see closer to the crater rim) are less than 5 meters wide. Closer inspection shows that the dark streak corresponds to a topographic slump, similar to several others visible on this slope.

This is one of the largest topographic changes we've seen in equatorial regions of Mars. We are continuing to monitor this location to see if this streak fades in the same manner as RSL, and to understand its relationship, if any, to the RSL activity. If the RSL are due to seeping water, then saturation of a layer downslope could destabilize the slope and lead to such slumps. We continue to be surprised by new discoveries from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter after 8 years in orbit.

Written by: Alfred McEwen (audio: Tre Gibbs)  (16 April 2014)
 
Acquisition date
15 January 2014

Local Mars time
15:21

Latitude (centered)
-11.529°

Longitude (East)
290.318°

Spacecraft altitude
264.5 km (164.4 miles)

Original image scale range
28.0 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~84 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
19.2°

Phase angle
48.3°

Solar incidence angle
61°, with the Sun about 29° above the horizon

Solar longitude
76.7°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  44.2°
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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.