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- CRISM: Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars
- CTX: Context Camera
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Tag Archives: Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars
CRISM: Phyllosilicate minerals near Marwth Vallis
This image shows iron/magnesium-bearing hydrated minerals called phyllosilicates in a white/yellow color. Phyllosilicates are clay and clay-like minerals formed by chemical reactions with liquid water. They are very thin (microscopic) stacked layer crystal forms, also called sheet silicates. The CRISM … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mawrth Vallis, MRO, NASA, phyllosilicates
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CRISM: Carbonate minerals in Nili Fossae
This image shows a site near Nili Fossae, a group of long, narrow tectonic depressions called graben, and reveals the presence of hydrated iron-magnesium (green) phyllosilicate and carbonate minerals (shown in yellow). Phyllosilicates, which include clay and clay-like minerals, form … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged carbonate minerals, carbonate minerals, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, Nili Fossae
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CRISM: Phyllosilicates in Nili Fossae
This image shows a site near Nili Fossae, a group of long, narrow tectonic depressions called graben. Mars’ crust is mostly made up of igneous rock and mafic materials, shown here with red denoting olivine. There are also aqueously-altered minerals … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, Nili Fossae, phyllosilicates
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CRISM: Carbonate and phyllosilicates in Leighton Crater
This image shows alteration products in the central peak of Leighton Crater, a 65-kilometer diameter crater in the Tyrrhena Terra region of the southern highlands. This CRISM image reveals the presence of hydrated iron-magnesium phyllosilicate and carbonate minerals (shown in … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged carbonate minerals, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Leighton Crater, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, phyllosilicates, Tyrrhena Terra
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CRISM image: Mafic minerals in western Arabia Terra
The Arabia Terra region of Mars is an ancient, very heavily cratered region about 5,100 kilometers (3,170 miles) across, roughly the length of the United States! Arabia contains some of the oldest rocks on Mars. It is one of two … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Arabia Terra, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, igneous minerals, mafic minerals, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, volcanics
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CRISM image: Hydrated sulfates in Candor Chasma
Candor Chasma is a deep, elongate, steep-sided depression about 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) in length, forming just one part of of the Valles Marineris canyon system in the equatorial part of Mars’ western hemisphere. If it were located on … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Candor Chasma, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, hydrated sulfates, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, Valles Marineris
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CRISM image: Volcanics and sulfates in Juventae Chasma
Juventae Chasma is a large canyon located northeast of the Valles Marineris canyon system in the equatorial part of Mars’ western hemisphere. Valles Marineris is about the size of the Mediterranean Sea if it were emptied of water; it would … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Juventae Chasma, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA
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CRISM image: phyllosilicates in a Tyrrhena Terra crater rim
This image shows layers clays and clay-like minerals called phyllosilicates that are exposed in Tyrrhena Terra, part of Mars’ ancient, heavily-cratered southern highlands. Tyrrhena Terra is roughly 2,300 kilometers (1,430 miles) across, about the size of Earth’s continent of Antarctica! … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, phyllosilicates, Tyrrhena Terra, weathering
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CRISM image: phyllosilicates in Tyrrhena Terra
This image shows spectral signatures of hydrated silicate minerals in Tyrrhena Terra, a heavily-cratered region about 2,300 kilometers (1,430 miles) across, comparable to the length of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Clay-like minerals called phyllosilicates, which in this region are rich … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, Tyrrhenus Terra
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CRISM image: high-calcium pyroxene in Bosporus Planum
The two featured images here show iron/magnesium-rich minerals in the Bosporus Planum region of Mars. The Martian crust is made mostly of igneous rock containing the minerals olivine and pyroxene. Pyroxene is the dominant silicate mineral in most igneous rocks … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Bosporus Planum, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, water
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