Light-Toned Outcrop in Aureum Chaos
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Light-Toned Outcrop in Aureum Chaos
PSP_004026_1765  Science Theme: Composition and Photometry
The formation of the large outflow channels on Mars have been attributed to catastrophic discharges of ground water. Many of the channels start in areas where the ground has apparently collapsed: the surface is now well below the surrounding undisturbed ground. Within the collapsed region, blocks of undisturbed material can often be seen and this has led to such regions being called chaotic terrain.

In Aureum Chaos, the OMEGA experiment on Mars Express indicated the presence of phyllosilicates (clay minerals) which have been detected in a variety of bright outcrops and scarps. The closeup shows such an outcrop in a chaotic terrain region. At the highest resolution, layering can be seen. The image will be used to assess at what stage in Mars' history these clays minerals were formed and how.

The area referred to as Aureum Chaos is located at 334 degrees East, 4 degrees South on the West side of the Margaritifer Terra region of Mars.



Written by: Nicolas Thomas  (1 August 2007)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_004448_1765.
 
Acquisition date
06 June 2007

Local Mars time
15:08

Latitude (centered)
-3.624°

Longitude (East)
333.732°

Spacecraft altitude
269.0 km (167.2 miles)

Original image scale range
27.0 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~81 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
3.7°

Phase angle
53.3°

Solar incidence angle
50°, with the Sun about 40° above the horizon

Solar longitude
252.1°, Northern Autumn

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  336.9°
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   (1106MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (566MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (599MB)
non-map           (576MB)

IRB color
map projected  (207MB)
non-map           (469MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (255MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (243MB)

RGB color
non map           (464MB)
ANAGLYPHS
Map-projected, reduced-resolution
Full resolution JP2 download
Anaglyph details page

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.