Carbon Dioxide Landscape
Caption:
7 July 2004
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a mid-summer view of the south polar residual cap at full MOC resolution, 1.5 m (5 ft) per pixel. During each of the three summers since the start of the MGS mapping mission in March 1999, the scarps that form mesas and pits in the "Swiss cheese"-like south polar terrain have retreated an average of about 3 meters (~1 yard). The material is frozen carbon dioxide; another 3 meters or so of each scarp is expected to be removed during the next summer, in late 2005. This image is located near 86.0°S, 350.8°W, and covers an area about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the top/upper left.
Cataloging Keywords:
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 |
Grayscale |
Acquisition Date |
|
Release Date |
2004-07-07 |
Date in Caption |
2004-07-07 |
|
Image Credit |
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
Source |
photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06367 |
Identifier |
PIA06367 |