A Gecko-Shaped Fissure Vent in Gordii Fossae
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
A Gecko-Shaped Fissure Vent in Gordii Fossae
ESP_070399_1970  Science Theme: Volcanic Processes
Gordii Fossae is a volcanic region near Olympus Mons, the planet’s largest volcano.

The smooth volcanic surfaces in the Gordii Fossae region are sometimes interrupted by long, narrow troughs, or fissures. These fissures form when underground faults, possibly involving magma movement, reach the near-surface, allowing material to collapse into pits or an elongated trough. This fissure appears to have erupted material that flowed onto the surface.

If you use your imagination, this trough resembles a gecko with its long tail and web-shaped feet!

Written by: Sharon Wilson and Sarah Sutton (narration: Tre Gibbs)  (14 October 2021)

This is a stereo pair with ESP_070333_1970.
 
Acquisition date
02 August 2021

Local Mars time
15:44

Latitude (centered)
16.675°

Longitude (East)
232.579°

Spacecraft altitude
273.4 km (169.9 miles)

Original image scale range
29.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~88 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
21.9°

Phase angle
33.8°

Solar incidence angle
53°, with the Sun about 37° above the horizon

Solar longitude
80.3°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  96°
Sub-solar azimuth:  25.3°
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non-map           (338MB)

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non-map           (215MB)

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ANAGLYPHS
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Full resolution JP2 download
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BONUS
4K (TIFF)
8K (TIFF)
10K (TIFF)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
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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.