Tag Archives: south polar ice cap

Orbital changes drive deposition of south polar layered deposits

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Patricio Becerra and seven co-authors recently published in Geophysical Research Letters.] Timescales of the Climate Record in the South Polar Ice Cap of Mars • Patterns in the stratigraphy of Mars’ south polar ice … Continue reading

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THEMIS: South polar layers

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 14, 2019. This VIS image shows part of the south polar cap. The numerous layers that comprise the polar cap are readily visible. The cap was built up over millions of years of deposition … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Frost-free southern polar cap features

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 6, 2019. This VIS image shows part of the south polar cap. The dark bands are troughs. The multiple layers of dust and ice that comprise the polar cap are visible in the trough … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Long trough in southern polar cap

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 5, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows part of the south polar cap. This image was taken at the end of southern summer. The dark line running down the image is one of numerous troughs … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Frost-free (almost) south polar ice cap

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 4, 2019. This VIS image shows part of the surface of the south polar cap. Collected at the end of southern summer, most of the ice is frost free and different textures are readily … Continue reading

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THEMIS: South polar ice cap canyon

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 3, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows part of the South Pole. Chasma Australe crosses diagonally through the middle of the image. The layers that comprise the polar cap are visible along the sides of … Continue reading

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THEMIS: South polar cap at summer’s end

THEMIS Image of the Day, May 3, 2019. This VIS image shows part of the south polar cap. The cap is comprised of layers of ice and dust deposited over millions of years. This image was collected at the end … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Dramatic changes over the south polar cap

The south polar residual cap of carbon dioxide ice rapidly changes. This image was planned as an almost exact match to the illumination and viewing angles of a previous one we took in August 2009. The pits have all expanded … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Eroded layers in the south polar ice cap

THEMIS Image of the Day, March 21, 2019. This VIS image shows layering in the south polar cap. Such layers are laid down by the seasonal changes and interweave dust and ice. Then they are eroded by winds and seasonal … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Wood-grain patterns in ice and dust

THEMIS Image of the Day, March 20, 2019. This VIS image shows layering in the south polar cap. The layers are formed over thousands of years of seasonal change, reflecting ice and dust surface deposition. Where the layers appear close … Continue reading

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