Tag Archives: MRO

MARCI weather report, October 1-7, 2018

Weather patterns on Mars were fairly typical last week. Large dust lifting activity associated with the defrosting south polar seasonal ice cap continued over southern Sirenum and Aonia. The western hemisphere of these polar latitudes also had some small dust … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Terrain at the intersection of a valley and crater floor

Terrain at the intersection of a valley and crater floor. Beautiful Mars series. [More at links]

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HiRISE: Summit dunes and their sand sources

The ultimate origin of the sediment that forms Martian dunes has long been debated. While sand dunes on Earth are primarily sourced by quartz-bearing components of granitic continental crust, it’s often suggested that sand on Mars derives from eroded volcanic … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Tell-tale bedrock in Tyrrhena Terra

Large craters, like this 50-kilometer diameter one, can uplift material from below and form a mountain-like central peak. Craters of this size on Mars become unstable as they form and collapse due to gravity. Craters with central peaks and terraced … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Erosion within Cerberus Fossae

A Context Camera image shows a small bench in the middle of the Cerberus Fossae at the head of Athabasca Valles. Small cataracts appear on this bench. Do these reflect erosion as water drained back into the subsurface at the … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Crazy terrain in Utopia

That crazy terrain. This is the floor of a crater in Utopia Planitia. Beautiful Mars series. [More at links]

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HiRISE: Knobs on the rim of a circular feature

Knobs on the rim of a circular feature. And there might be clays on this cluster of knobs which as a unit, look very interesting. Beautiful Mars series. [More at links]

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HiRISE: Intricate CO2 frost patterns

This polar terrain is cut by an intricate pattern of channels. Carbon dioxide frost in the channels make them bright at this time of year. [More at link]

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HiRISE: Clay outcrop near Maja Valles

A clay outcrop near Maja Valles. Maja Valles is a large, ancient outflow channel in the Lunae Palus quadrangle on Mars. The name is a Nepali word for “Mars”, and parts of the system have been partially buried by thin volcanic … Continue reading

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MARCI weather report: September 17-23, 2018

During the past week, dusty conditions continued along the retreating seasonal south polar ice cap edge. Sites of activity included Aonia, southern Sirenum, and southwest of Hellas — near the ‘Mountains of Mitchel.’ Looking further northward, dust lifting was relatively … Continue reading

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