Kasei Valles

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Caption:

Released 21 May 2003

Just a small part of the huge Kasei Valles outflow channel is shown in this THEMIS visible image. Still, the awesome erosive power of the water that once flowed through this channel is evident. The different erosional levels of the channel indicate that it is likely that water flowed at several levels for some time. Today the area is covered by a layer of fine martian dust. The dark streaks seen on the cliff faces are the result of dust avalanches which have exposed the underlying rock.

Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 24.9, Longitude 287.4 East (72.6) meter/pixel resolution.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

Background Info:

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

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