20 December 2003
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows barchan sand dunes west of the Meroe Patera volcanic caldera in central Syrtis Major. The winds that shape these dunes blow from the right/upper right (northeast). The surface across which the dunes have traveled is probably composed of volcanic rocks; the dunes, too, may have volcanic materials, such as sand-sized grains of tephra-volcanic ash-in them. This October 2003 view is located near 7.4°N, 292.3°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Name | Value | Additional Values |
---|---|---|
Target | Mars | |
System | ||
Target Type | Planet | |
Mission | Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) | |
Instrument Host | Mars Global Surveyor | |
Host Type | Orbiter | |
Instrument | Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) | |
Detector | ||
Extra Keywords | Dune, Grayscale, Volcano | |
Acquisition Date | ||
Release Date | 2004-01-07 | |
Date in Caption | 2003-12-20 | |
Image Credit | NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems | |
Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05011 | |
Identifier | PIA05011 |