Exposure of Polar Layered Deposits with Unconformities
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Exposure of Polar Layered Deposits with Unconformities
PSP_001398_2615  Science Theme: Polar Geology
This image shows a portion of the north polar layered deposits (PLD). The PLD are layers that have been deposited over an extensive area at both poles possibly throughout Martian history. They likely contain ice-rich and dust-rich layers, with the darker layers being probably more dust-rich than the bright layers.

The PLD holds clues to past climate regimes similar to ice cores on Earth. Several of the layers occur in fairly regular sequences, as seen in this image, suggesting that Mars underwent cyclic climate changes in the past.

Towards the top left of the image, there is a series of layers that appears truncated at an angle, forming what geologists call an "angular uncomformity." They typically form by first laying down a series of continuous beds. Then erosion cuts through the beds at an angle. Aferwards, a new set of beds are laid over this partially eroded sequence. A similar unconformity exists at the bottom right of the image.



Written by: Kelly Kolb  (27 December 2006)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_001780_2615.
 
Acquisition date
13 November 2006

Local Mars time
14:16

Latitude (centered)
81.515°

Longitude (East)
47.300°

Spacecraft altitude
315.2 km (195.9 miles)

Original image scale range
31.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~95 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
0.8°

Phase angle
66.2°

Solar incidence angle
65°, with the Sun about 25° above the horizon

Solar longitude
134.7°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  110°
Sub-solar azimuth:  324.1°
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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.