Tag Archives: CO2 frost

HiRISE: Frosted dunes

Posted on May 20, 2016 by rburnham

Sand dunes cover much of this terrain, which has large boulders lying on flat areas between the dunes. It is now late winter here in the Southern hemisphere, and these dunes are just getting enough sunlight to start defrosting their … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Southern winter frost accumulations

Posted on May 10, 2016 by rburnham

This enhanced color HiRISE image shows several craters somewhere in the southern mid-latitudes of Mars. It is currently mid-winter in the Southern hemisphere, so we can observe accumulating frost (neon blues) on pole-facing slopes (i.e. south-facing) and in shadowed areas. … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Seasonal frost enhances polygon visibility

Posted on March 31, 2015 by rburnham

Unleash the Polygons! Beautiful Mars series.

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HiRISE: Strange patterned ground

Posted on February 25, 2015 by rburnham

Strange patterned ground and circular spots in dark area. This formation is right under the rim of an impact crater. There is a possibility of frost at this latitude, but doesn’t look like it is recent. Beautiful Mars series.

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HiRISE: Frost on dunes, dust devil streaks

Posted on February 24, 2015 by rburnham

Frost on dunes, topped by dust devil streaks. Beautiful Mars series.

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HiRISE: Frosty shoreline

Posted on February 12, 2015 by rburnham

The frosty shoreline. The frost is carbon dioxide, and the dark material is the result of sublimation, when a solid transforms directly to a gas, exposed now on lighter ground. Beautiful Mars series.

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HiRISE: Crater slopes: power of a repeat image

Posted on January 22, 2015 by rburnham

Why does HiRISE take so many repeat images of the same area? Repeat coverage actually serves a special purpose, such as detecting seasonal changes (frost deposition and sublimation) and temporal changes (dust devil tracks and avalanches.) These repeat images also … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Defrosting icy crater

Posted on January 20, 2015 by rburnham

We’re watching you, defrosting icy crater. Beautiful Mars series.

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HiRISE: Frosty slopes in late spring

Posted on December 23, 2014 by rburnham

This HiRISE image, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. At this time of year only south-facing slopes retain the frost, while the north-facing slopes have melted. Gullies are not the only … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Frost-covered chaos in Hellas

Posted on December 1, 2014 by rburnham

Hellas Chaos, in the southern central part of the giant Hellas basin, stretches roughly 200 km north–south and for about 500 km in an east–west direction. It shows a variety of landforms, from large impact craters containing wind-blown dunes or … Continue reading →

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