HiRISE | Enigmatic Sinuous Features in Louth Crater Ice Mound (ESP_018301

NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Enigmatic Sinuous Features in Louth Crater Ice Mound
ESP_018301_2505 Science Theme: Seasonal Processes

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This HiRISE image shows a large ice mound located in Louth Crater. At 70 degrees North, this is the lowest latitude permanent deposit of water ice on Mars.

The HiRISE image, taken in early summer, shows details of the mound and non-ice portions of the crater floor. The mound is characterized by rough textures and layering similar to features seen on the north polar layered deposits near the Martian North Pole. Zooming in to
an area in the southeast part of the mound, dark sinuous ridges are apparent.

These may be the crests of partially defrosted dark sand dunes or perhaps some other feature that we do not understand. This is the only area on Louth where these enigmatic ridges are found.
Written by: Nathan Bridges (4 August 2010)

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Acquisition date:	22 June 2010	Local Mars time:	2:55 PM
Latitude (centered):	70.2 degrees	Longitude (East):	103.0 degrees
Range to target site:	316.6 km (197.9 miles)	Original image scale range:	31.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~95 cm across are resolved
Map projected scale:	25 cm/pixel	Map projection:	POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC
Emission angle:	3.1 degrees	Phase angle:	50.3 degrees
Solar incidence angle:	53 degrees, with the Sun about 37 degrees above the horizon	Solar longitude:	108.0 degrees, Northern Summer
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North azimuth:	99 degrees	Sub-solar azimuth:	330.0 degrees
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North azimuth:	166.9 degrees	Sub solar azimuth:	39.74 degrees

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All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible: Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

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For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona. The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey’s ISIS3 software.