Tag Archives: CO2 frost

THEMIS: South polar ice features

Posted on June 9, 2017 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 9, 2017. Today’s VIS image shows more of the south polar cap at the end of southern summer. More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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THEMIS: South polar textures as local summer ends

Posted on June 8, 2017 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 8, 2017. This VIS image of the south pole was taken at the end of summer. Frost will soon start to form as the season transitions into fall. Fall in the southern hemisphere means … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: A winter’s view of a gullied crater

Posted on April 18, 2017 by rburnham

This is the location with the most impressive known gully activity in the Northern hemisphere. Gullies are active in the winter due to carbon dioxide frost, but northern winters are shorter and warmer than southern winters, so there is less … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Gullies in winter shadow

Posted on March 21, 2017 by rburnham

This is an odd-looking image. It shows gullies during the winter while entirely in the shadow of the crater wall. Illumination comes only from the winter skylight. We acquire such images because gullies on Mars actively form in the winter … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: How gas carves channels

Posted on January 25, 2017 by rburnham

A layer of dry ice covers the South Polar layered deposits every winter. In the spring, gas created from heating of the dry ice escapes through ruptures in the overlying seasonal ice, entraining material from the ground below. The gas … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Frost build-up near Mars north pole

Posted on January 23, 2017 by rburnham

This animated gif shows the build up of frosts in a 73 x 41 km section of the north polar ice cap of Mars between November and December 2004. The images were taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Painting with frost

Posted on December 8, 2016 by rburnham

Subtle variations in color look like brush strokes as the lightly frosted terrain reflects light. These variations provide a backdrop to some exotic features referred to colloquially as “spiders.” The radial channels branching out from a central depression are formed … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Frosty alcoves on Kaiser Crater dunes

Posted on September 14, 2016 by rburnham

Kaiser Crater hosts a large field of sand dunes. Every winter the dunes are covered with a layer of seasonal carbon dioxide ice (dry ice). In early spring the ice begins to sublimate (going directly from solid ice to gas). … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Deceptively smooth

Posted on August 19, 2016 by rburnham

Deceptively smooth — North Polar layered deposits with generous amounts of carbon dioxide frost. Beautiful Mars series.

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Frosty nights year-round may stir Mars dust

Posted on July 8, 2016 by rburnham

Some dusty parts of Mars get as cold at night year-round as the planet’s poles do in winter, even regions near the equator in summer, according to new NASA findings based on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter observations. [The findings are reported … Continue reading →

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