Looking for Avalanches
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Looking for Avalanches
ESP_069857_2650  Science Theme: Climate Change
The North Polar Layered Deposits (NPLD) are large layered deposits of dusty water-ice in the northern polar region of Mars. The layering we see is caused mainly by slight variations in the dust-to-ice ratio, which records variations in the Martian climate over time.

Another interesting aspect of the NPLD is the fact that we have observed on its scarps numerous avalanche events (for example, PSP_007338_2640 and ESP_016228_2650). Avalanches have also been spotted at this scarp . Spring monitoring is key to constrain frequency of avalanches and timing of “avalanche season” onset on Mars. Can you spot any avalanches in the image?

This caption is partly based on the science rationale behind acquiring this image.

Written by: M. Ramy El-Maarry (narration: Tre Gibbs)  (19 August 2021)
 
Acquisition date
21 June 2021

Local Mars time
13:45

Latitude (centered)
85.126°

Longitude (East)
237.064°

Spacecraft altitude
318.2 km (197.8 miles)

Original image scale range
31.8 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~96 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
2.1°

Phase angle
62.0°

Solar incidence angle
64°, with the Sun about 26° above the horizon

Solar longitude
61.8°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  119°
Sub-solar azimuth:  325.6°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
map projected  non-map

Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (512MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (303MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (244MB)
non-map           (339MB)

IRB color
map projected  (75MB)
non-map           (187MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (121MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (112MB)

RGB color
non map           (168MB)
BONUS
4K (TIFF)
8K (TIFF)
10K (TIFF)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

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.