Tag Archives: University of Arizona

HiRISE: Diverse minerals in crater ejecta

Posted on December 20, 2017 by rburnham

Diverse minerals in crater ejecta. The CRISM instrument on MRO (a spectrometer) show blocks of diverse composition here in the ejecta of a 15-kilometer diameter complex crater. HiRISE coverage can reveal textures and small-scale color variations. Beautiful Mars series.

HiRISE: Light-toned terrain in Gorgonum Chaos

Posted on December 19, 2017 by rburnham

Light-toned terrain in Gorgonum Chaos. Looks like possibly hydrated material and valleys are also located nearby. Beautiful Mars series.

Posted in Reports | Tagged Beautiful Mars, Gorgonum Chaos, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiRISE, hydrated minerals, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, University of Arizona | Comments Off

HiRISE: Layered ice near the South Pole

Posted on December 18, 2017 by rburnham

The two largest ice sheets in the inner solar system are here on Earth, Antarctica and Greenland. The third largest is at the South Pole of Mars and a small part of it is shown here. Much like the terrestrial … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, south polar ice cap, south polar layered deposits, south polar region, University of Arizona | Comments Off

HiRISE: Colorful and ancient bedrock

Posted on December 15, 2017 by rburnham

Craters can be very useful in exposing features that were once hidden beneath the surface. Here, the edge of a crater wall exposes a cross-section of enhanced color bedrock in Syrtis Major, a relatively dust-free region of Mars. The diverse … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged craters, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, Syrtis Major, University of Arizona | Comments Off

HiRISE: The fault in our Mars

Posted on December 14, 2017 by rburnham

This image of northern Meridiani Planum shows faults that have disrupted layered deposits. Some of the faults produced a clean break along the layers, displacing and offsetting individual beds (yellow arrow). Interestingly, the layers continue across the fault and appear … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged faulting, faults, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Meridiani Planum, MRO, NASA, tectonics, University of Arizona | Comments Off

HiRISE: Depressions and channels on the floor of Lyot Crater

Posted on December 14, 2017 by rburnham

Lyot Crater (220-kilometers in diameter) is located in the Northern lowlands of Mars. The crater’s floor marks the lowest elevation in the Northern Hemisphere. On the crater’s floor, we see a network of channels connecting a series of irregular shaped … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiRISE, Lyot Crater, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA, periglacial processes, periglacial terrain, permafrost, University of Arizona | Comments Off

HiRISE: A valley near the northern lowlands

Posted on December 13, 2017 by rburnham

The goal of this observation is to determine the source of the ridge within a possible moraine that is also present in another HiRISE image. A moraine is a mass of rocks and sediment carried down and deposited by a … Continue reading →