Glacier-like Features on Mars
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Glacier-like Features on Mars
ESP_077592_2225  Science Theme: Glacial/Periglacial Processes
There are many locations in the mid-latitudes of Mars that look like material has flowed. This image shows an example flowing downhill between two ridges. Comparing these to what we see on the Earth and to other information we have about Mars leads scientists to believe that these are glaciers.

Glacier-like features like this indicate that ice accumulated here in the past, which does not happen in today’s climate. It’s somewhat of a mystery why these features have flowed so much when they are so thin, the ice is so cold, and Martian gravity is so low. They probably move much more slowly than typical glaciers on Earth, but Mars has plenty of time on its hands so they end up looking very similar to the valley glaciers we see on our own planet.

Written by: Shane Byrne  (1 May 2023)
 
Acquisition date
14 February 2023

Local Mars time
14:36

Latitude (centered)
42.129°

Longitude (East)
56.327°

Spacecraft altitude
298.9 km (185.8 miles)

Original image scale range
59.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~179 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
3.4°

Phase angle
50.2°

Solar incidence angle
47°, with the Sun about 43° above the horizon

Solar longitude
24.0°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  334.6°
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   (438MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (263MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (235MB)
non-map           (282MB)

IRB color
map projected  (96MB)
non-map           (211MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (464MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (426MB)

RGB color
non map           (198MB)
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.