At the Edge of a Polar Cap
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
At the Edge of a Polar Cap
ESP_035926_2640  Science Theme: Aeolian Processes
Formative down-slope winds descending on Mars’ North Polar ice cap likely play an important role in transporting sediment from the base of the ice cap into the dune fields that sit beyond the ice cap.

The deep chasm that formed on the polar cap edge is identified as an area of strong down-slope winds and has a clear connection to Mars’ largest dune field, Olympia Undae. Repeat HiRISE images from this chasm that specifically targets the dunes, provides the basis to evaluate the sand fluxes which are associated with the dune and ripple movement in this area.

Written by: Ryan Ewing (narration: Tre Gibbs)  (22 May 2014)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_036176_2640.
 
Acquisition date
26 March 2014

Local Mars time
14:39

Latitude (centered)
83.921°

Longitude (East)
233.641°

Spacecraft altitude
318.0 km (197.6 miles)

Original image scale range
33.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~100 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
17.1°

Phase angle
48.4°

Solar incidence angle
61°, with the Sun about 29° above the horizon

Solar longitude
107.8°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  101°
Sub-solar azimuth:  321.3°
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non-map           (292MB)

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non-map           (372MB)

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RGB color
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Full resolution JP2 download
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DIGITAL TERRAIN MODEL (DTM)
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
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Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
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:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
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. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.