Stair-Stepped Mounds in Meridiani Planum
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Stair-Stepped Mounds in Meridiani Planum
PSP_008930_1880  Science Theme: Tectonic Processes
This image shows layered sedimentary rocks that fill an impact crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars.

These layered rocks may have formed through the accumulation of sediment (sand and dust) that were transported into this crater by blowing wind or flowing water. These sediments formed an extensive deposit that once covered the floor of the surrounding impact crater.

This crater is so large that the HiRISE image is entirely within it, and the crater rim is not visible. These sedimentary rocks were then eroded, likely by the wind. The original sand and dust were deposited in distinct layers within the crater; these layers now give the mounds their distinctive stair-stepped appearance, and are all that remain from this once extensive deposit.

Written by: Chris Okubo  (30 July 2008)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_008205_1880.
 
Acquisition date
22 June 2008

Local Mars time
15:15

Latitude (centered)
7.720°

Longitude (East)
353.190°

Spacecraft altitude
273.6 km (170.0 miles)

Original image scale range
28.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~85 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
13.8°

Phase angle
61.4°

Solar incidence angle
50°, with the Sun about 40° above the horizon

Solar longitude
88.7°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  98°
Sub-solar azimuth:  33.3°
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JP2
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JP2 EXTRAS
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map-projected  (573MB)
non-map           (540MB)

IRB color
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non-map           (429MB)

Merged IRB
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Merged RGB
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RGB color
non map           (408MB)
ANAGLYPHS
Map-projected, reduced-resolution
Full resolution JP2 download
Anaglyph details page

BONUS
4K (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.