HiRISE | Muddy Mounds (ESP_080034

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

Muddy Mounds
ESP_080034_2195 Science Theme: Volcanic Processes

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The northern lowlands of Mars in this location are stippled with mounds, such as those visible throughout this image. These lighter-toned circular mounds with bowl-shaped depressions are easy to spot against the darker-toned floor. Scientists think these landforms are similar to mud volcanoes that are also found here on Earth.

Mud volcanoes form as gas and liquid-rich sediment interacts underground. Over time, this slurry of mud is brought to the surface and forms a rounded mound. Scientists are interested in studying mud volcanoes on Mars because the material forming the mound has the potential to be organic in nature and would give insight into possible microbial life below the surface.

Written by: Sharon Wilson Purdy (11 December 2023)

Acquisition date
23 August 2023

Local Mars time
15:28

Latitude (centered)
39.165°

Longitude (East)
347.221°

Spacecraft altitude
297.7 km (185.0 miles)

Original image scale range
59.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~180 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
5.8°

Phase angle
40.7°

Solar incidence angle
46°, with the Sun about 44° above the horizon

Solar longitude
108.6°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth: 96°
Sub-solar azimuth: 2.3°

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   (292MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (102MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected (162MB)
non-map           (198MB)

IRB color
map projected (41MB)
non-map           (79MB)

Merged IRB
map projected (306MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected (294MB)

RGB color
non map           (74MB)

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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.