PIA06743: Meridiani Outcrops


Meridiani Outcrops

Caption:

31 July 2004
The sedimentary rock outcrops explored this year by the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, in Meridiani Planum are just the "tip of the iceberg." Northern Sinus Meridiani exhibits vast outcrops of sedimentary rock of widely varied erosional characteristics and physical properties. Investigation of these rocks from orbit using the high resolution capabilities of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has been underway for nearly seven years. This MGS MOC image shows an example, complete with small buttes formed of eroded sedimentary rock, in northern Sinus Meridiani. The image is located near 1.2°N, 358.9°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the terrain from the left.

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
Instrument Host Mars Global Surveyor Opportunity (MER-B)
Host Type Orbiter Rover
Instrument Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
Detector
Extra Keywords Grayscale
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2004-08-02
Date in Caption 2004-07-31
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06743
Identifier PIA06743