Mare Australe quadrangle
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The Mare Australe quadrangle is one of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the
United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
(USGS)
Astrogeology Research Program The Astrogeology Science Center is the entity within the United States Geological Survey concerned with the study of planetary geology and planetary cartography. It is housed in the Shoemaker Building in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Center was establ ...
. The Mare Australe quadrangle is also referred to as MC-30 (Mars Chart-30). The quadrangle covers all the area of Mars south of 65°, including the South polar ice cap, and its surrounding area. The quadrangle's name derives from an older name for a feature that is now called
Planum Australe Planum Australe (Latin: "the southern plain") is the southern polar plain on Mars. It extends southward of roughly 75°S and is centered at . The geology of this region was to be explored by the failed NASA mission Mars Polar Lander, which lost co ...
, a large plain surrounding the polar cap. The
Mars polar lander The Mars Polar Lander, also known as the Mars Surveyor '98 Lander, was a 290-kilogram robotic spacecraft lander launched by NASA on January 3, 1999, to study the soil and climate of Planum Australe, a region near the south pole on Mars. It form ...
crash landed in this region.


Notable features

Around the southern ice cap is a surface, called the ''Dorsa Argentea Formation'' that may be an old ice-rich deposit. It contains a group of sinuous, branched ridges that resembles eskers that form when streams are under glaciers. The formation often contains pits: two major locations are named ''Cavi Angusti'' and ''Cavi Sisyphi''. The pits have steep sides and an irregular shape. They are up to 50 km across and 1 km deep. The quadrangle also contains Angustus Labyrinthus, a formation of intersecting valley or ridges, nicknamed the "Inca City".Hartmann, W. 2003. A Traveler's Guide to Mars. Workman Publishing. NY NY. Researchers were surprised to see parts of the surface having a Swiss-cheese appearance. Also, some areas showed strange spider-shaped forms, which were determined to be caused by carbon dioxide gas blowing dust around at certain times of the year. Some craters in Mare Australe show gullies. Martian gullies are small, incised networks of narrow channels and their associated downslope
sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sa ...
deposits, found on the planet of
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
. They are named for their resemblance to terrestrial
gullies A gully is a landform created by running water, mass movement, or commonly a combination of both eroding sharply into soil or other relatively erodible material, typically on a hillside or in river floodplains or terraces. Gullies resemble lar ...
. First discovered on images from
Mars Global Surveyor ''Mars Global Surveyor'' (MGS) was an American robotic space probe developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and launched November 1996. MGS was a global mapping mission that examined the entire planet, from the ionosphere down through t ...
, they occur on steep slopes, especially on the walls of craters. Usually, each gully has a dendritic ''alcove'' at its head, a fan-shaped ''apron'' at its base, and a single thread of incised ''channel'' linking the two, giving the whole gully an hourglass shape.Malin, M., Edgett, K. 2000. Evidence for recent groundwater seepage and surface runoff on Mars. Science 288, 2330–2335. They are believed to be relatively young because they have few, if any craters. A subclass of gullies is also found cut into the faces of sand dunes which themselves considered to be quite young. On the basis of their form, aspects, positions, and location amongst and apparent interaction with features thought to be rich in water ice, many researchers believed that the processes carving the gullies involve liquid water. However, this remains a topic of active research. As soon as gullies were discovered, researchers began to image many gullies over and over, looking for possible changes. By 2006, some changes were found. Later, with further analysis it was determined that the changes could have occurred by dry granular flows rather than being driven by flowing water. With continued observations many more changes were found in Gasa Crater and others. With more repeated observations, more and more changes have been found; since the changes occur in the winter and spring, experts are tending to believe that gullies were formed from dry ice. Before-and-after images demonstrated the timing of this activity coincided with seasonal carbon-dioxide frost and temperatures that would not have allowed for liquid water. When dry ice frost changes to a gas, it may lubricate dry material to flow especially on steep slopes. In some years frost, perhaps as thick as 1 meter.


Freezing of atmosphere

Research based on slight changes in the orbits of spacecraft around Mars over 16 years found that when one hemisphere experiences winter, approximately 3 trillion to 4 trillion tons of carbon dioxide freezes out of the atmosphere onto the northern and southern polar caps. This represents 12 to 16 percent of the mass of the entire Martian atmosphere. These observation support predictions from the Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model—2010.


Lake of liquid water

Scientists reported in July 2018, the discovery of a lake of liquid water under the southern ice cap. The measurements were gathered with the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding ( MARSIS) on board the European Space Agency's orbiting Mars Express spacecraft. Radar reflections showed a bright spot in the ice layers that analysis later showed that it had to be a lake of liquid water. It is believed that the water remains liquid, even at the temperature of -68 degrees Celsius because there is likely much dissolved salt that lowers the freezing point. The lake is about 20 kilometers across and at least 10 centimeters deep It could contain 10 billion liters of liquid water.R. Orosei et al. Radar evidence of subglacial liquid water on Mars. Science. Published online July 25, 2018. doi:10.1126/science.aar7268. There could very well be many small bodies of water under the ice cap; however, they are difficult to detect with MARSIS. Also, the raw date coverage needed for these detections is limited—only a few percent of the area has a full set of data.


Spiders

During the winter, much frost accumulates. It freezes out directly onto the surface of the permanent polar cap, which is made of water ice covered with layers of dust and sand. The deposit begins as a layer of dusty frost. Over the winter, it recrystallizes and becomes denser. The dust and sand particles caught in the frost slowly sink. By the time temperatures rise in the spring, the frost layer has become a slab of semi-transparent ice about 3 feet thick, lying on a substrate of dark sand and dust. This dark material absorbs light and causes the ice to sublimate (turn directly into a gas) below the surface. Eventually much gas accumulates and becomes pressurized. When it finds a weak spot, the gas escapes and blows out the dust. Speeds can reach 100 miles per hour. Dark channels can sometimes be seen; they are called "spiders." The surface appears covered with dark spots when this process is occurring. The official name for spiders is "araneiforms." These features can be seen in some of the pictures below. Image:Star burst channels.jpg, Star burst Channels caused by escaping gas, as seen by
HiRISE High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is a camera on board the '' Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006. The 65 kg (143 lb), US$40 million instrument was built under the direction ...
Star burst channels, also called spiders, may be about 500 meters in diameter and 1 meter deep. Image:Spider Early in Spring.JPG, Spider on the second Martian day of spring, as seen by HiRISE. Image:Spider Later in Spring.JPG, Some spider 14 Martian days later, as seen by HiRISE. Notice increased dark fans caused by outgassing of carbon dioxide and dark material. File:57547 1010oldspiders.jpg, Old spiders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program ESP 047609 0985spiders.jpg, Wide view of plumes, as seen by HiRISE under
HiWish program HiWish is a program created by NASA so that anyone can suggest a place for the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to photograph. It was started in January 2010. In the first few months of the program 3000 people signed up to use HiRIS ...
Many of the plumes show spiders when enlarged. 47609 0985plumes.jpg, Plumes, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Arrow shows a double plume. This may have been because of shifting winds. 47609 0985spiderlong.jpg, Long plume, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program 47609 0985spiderlongclose.jpg, Spiders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program 47609 0985spiders.jpg, Plumes and spiders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program 47609 0985spidersclose.jpg, Plumes and spiders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program 47609 0985spidersdark.jpg, Plumes and spiders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program 47609 0985spiderswide.jpg, Wide view of plumes and spiders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program 47609 0985spidersdarkclose.jpg, Plumes and spiders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
ESP 048845 1010spiders.jpg, Wide view of crater that contains examples of spiders, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Close views of some of the spider formations are shown in following images. 48845 1010spiders.jpg, Close view of spider formations, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program The polygon shapes are channels caused by pressurized carbon dioxide going through cracks. During the winter season, a slab of dry ice forms on the ground surface. The surface contains cracks in the shape of polygons. During certain times, CO2 under the ice becomes pressurized from sunlight penetrating the slab of dry ice. As the gas moves around the channels become larger. 48845 1010spiderspolygons.jpg, Close view of spider formations, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Polygon-shaped channels are also visible.


Defrosting

As the temperature warms and more sunlight becomes available in the spring, frost starts to disappear. This process begins with the appearance of dark spots. By the time the temperature rises to the melting point of water ice, all ice is gone. The process was first followed with repeated images by the Mars Global Surveyor. With the much greater resolution of HiRISE, it was seen that many spots had the shape of fans. Some of these spots and fans are visible in the pictures below. Thousands of fans were examined by a Citizen Science project. Nearly all (96%) of the fans measured in this study have a length below 100m. The average fan length is at 33.1m. The three largest fans lengths of 373m, 368m and 361m and were all in the same region. ESP 047269 1070plumes.jpg, Wide view of defrosting, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Gas and dark dust is probably being blown out of ground and then carried by winds toward the Northwest. 47269 1070spider.jpg, Close view of defrosting, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Gas and dark dust is probably being blown out of ground and then carried by winds toward the Northwest. Arrow points to a possible spider formation. 47269 1070spider2.jpg, Close view of defrosting, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Gas and dark dust is probably being blown out of ground and then carried by winds toward the Northwest. 47269 1070spiders.jpg, Close view of defrosting, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Gas and dark dust is probably being blown out of ground and then carried by winds toward the Northwest. ESP 047319 1040defrosting.jpg, Wide view of spring defrosting. The dark spots are where the ice has disappeared, thus revealing the dark surface beneath the ice. Picture taken with HiRISE under HiWish program 47319 1040spotsroots.jpg, Close view of spring defrosting. The dark spots are where the ice has disappeared, thus revealing the dark surface beneath the ice. Picture taken with HiRISE under HiWish program


Dust devil tracks

Many areas on Mars, including Eridania, experience the passage of giant
dust devils A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively short-lived whirlwind. Its size ranges from small (half a metre wide and a few metres tall) to large (more than 10 m wide and more than 1 km tall). The primary vertical motion is ...
. A thin coating of fine bright dust covers most of the Martian surface. When a dust devil goes by it blows away the coating and exposes the underlying dark surface. Dust devils occur when the sun warms up the air near a flat, dry surface. The warm air then rises quickly through the cooler air and begins spinning while moving ahead. This spinning, moving cell may pick up dust and sand then leave behind a clean surface. Dust devils have been seen from the ground and high overhead from orbit. They have even blown the dust off of the solar panels of the two Rovers on Mars, thereby greatly extending their lives. The twin Rovers were designed to last for 3 months, instead they lasted more than six years, and one is still going after 8 years. The pattern of the tracks have been shown to change every few months. A study that combined data from the
High Resolution Stereo Camera High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) is a camera experiment on ''Mars Express''.DLR - ...
(HRSC) and the
Mars Orbiter Camera The Mars Orbiter Camera and Mars Observer Camera (MOC) were scientific instruments on board the Mars Observer and Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. The camera was built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) for NASA and the cost of the whole MOC s ...
(MOC) found that some large dust devils on Mars have a diameter of 700 meters and last at least 26 minutes. Image:Labeled Dust Devil from hirise.JPG, Dust Devil, as shown from HiRISE. Dust devil is moving to the upper left, leaving a dark track to the lower right. The shadow of the dust devil is to the upper left of the dust devil. Wikiweinbaum.jpg, Weinbaum (crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikiweinbaumdevils.jpg, Weinbaum crater region showing
dust devil tracks Martian dust devils (dust devils on Mars) were first photographed by the Viking orbiters in the 1970s. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder lander detected a dust devil passing over it. In the first image below, photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor, ...
, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Field of picture is just outside rim of crater and is an enlargement of the previous image of Weinbaum crater. Wikimitchelwest.jpg, Western side of Mitchel crater (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikimitchelwestdevils.jpg,
Dust devil tracks Martian dust devils (dust devils on Mars) were first photographed by the Viking orbiters in the 1970s. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder lander detected a dust devil passing over it. In the first image below, photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor, ...
in Mitchell crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image of west side of Mitchel crater. Wikischmidt.jpg, Schmidt (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Arrows indicate the north and south rims of crater. Wikischmidtdunesdevils.jpg, Dunes and
dust devil tracks Martian dust devils (dust devils on Mars) were first photographed by the Viking orbiters in the 1970s. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder lander detected a dust devil passing over it. In the first image below, photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor, ...
in Schmidt crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Narrow, dark lines are dust devil tracks. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Schmidt crater. File:ESP 057729 1095layers.jpg, Dust devil tracks and layers, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program


Dorsa Argentea Formation

The Dorsa Argentea Formation (DAF) is thought to be a large system of eskers that were under an ancient ice cap in the south polar region of Mars.Head, J, S. Pratt. 2001. Extensive Hesperian-aged south polar ice sheet on Mars: Evidence for massive melting and retreat, and lateral flow and pending of meltwater. J. Geophys. Res.-Planet, 106 (E6), 12275-12299. This large polar ice sheet is believed to have covered about 1.5 million square kilometers. That area is twice the area of the state of
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. The ice sheet formed near the boundary of the
Noachian The Noachian is a geologic system and early time period on the planet Mars characterized by high rates of meteorite and asteroid impacts and the possible presence of abundant surface water. The absolute age of the Noachian period is uncertain ...
-Hesperian era and receded in the early
Hesperian The Hesperian is a geologic system and time period on the planet Mars characterized by widespread volcanic activity and catastrophic flooding that carved immense outflow channels across the surface. The Hesperian is an intermediate and transitio ...
era. A thick ice sheet was able to be formed more easily in the south polar region than in the North pole because the south pole is higher in altitude. There may have been much more water available in the Martian atmosphere when the ice sheet developed. This group of ridges extends from 270–100 E and 70–90 S, around the south pole of Mars. It sits under the Late Amazonian South Polar Layered Deposits (SPLD). The amount of these ridges is huge, one study studied seven different ridge systems which contained almost 4,000 ridges that had a total length 51,000 km. Most eskers are thought to be formed inside ice-walled tunnels by streams which flowed within and under glaciers. After the retaining ice walls melted away, stream deposits remained as long winding ridges. MARSIS radar data suggest that significant areas of layered, potentially ice-rich parts of the Dorsa Argentea Formation remain today. R0502109dorsaargentea.jpg, Ridges, believed to be eskers of the Dorsa Argentea Formation, as seen by Mars Global Surveyor wide angle MOC. White arrows point to the ridges. A team of researchers used an early Mars global climate model together with the University of Maine Ice Sheet Model to determine how the eskers formed. They concluded that to get enough a high enough temperature in the Martian atmosphere to form the ice sheet, a greenhouse gas in addition to a thicker carbon dioxide atmosphere was needed to warm the surface near the poles by at least 20 degrees C. Also, to produce the shape of the ice sheet, at least part of the Tharsis volcanoes needed to be present.


Proof for ocean

Strong evidence for a one time ancient ocean was found from data gathered from the north and south poles. In March 2015, a team of scientists published results showing that this region was highly enriched with deuterium, heavy hydrogen, by seven times as much as the Earth. This means that Mars has lost a volume of water 6.5 times what is stored in today's polar caps. The water for a time would have formed an ocean in the low-lying Mare Boreum. The amount of water could have covered the planet about 140 meters, but was probably in an ocean that in places would be almost 1 mile deep. This international team used ESO’s Very Large Telescope, along with instruments at the W. M. Keck Observatory and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, to map out different forms of water in Mars’s atmosphere over a six-year period.


Craters

Image:Mare Australe Map.JPG, Map of Mare Australe with major features labeled. Image:Hutton Crater Area.JPG, Hutton Crater Area, as seen by HiRISE. Click on image to see patterned ground. Image:Philips Crater Area.JPG,
Phillips Crater Phillips may refer to: Businesses Energy * Chevron Phillips Chemical, American petrochemical firm jointly owned by Chevron Corporation and Phillips 66. * ConocoPhillips, American energy company * Phillips 66, American energy company * Philli ...
Area, as seen by HiRISE. Wikisuess.jpg, Suess (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikistoney.jpg, East side of Stoney (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikireynolds.jpg, Reynolds (crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikiholmeseast.jpg, East side of
Holmes (crater) Holmes may refer to: Name * Holmes (surname) * Holmes (given name) * Baron Holmes, noble title created twice in the Peerage of Ireland * Chris Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond (born 1971), British former swimmer and life peer Places In the Uni ...
, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikistenowest.jpg, Western side of
Steno (Martian crater) Steno may refer to: * Steno, Salamis, a small community at the northwest of Salamis Island, Greece * Stenography, the process of writing in shorthand ** Stenotype, a specialized chorded keyboard or typewriter used by stenographers for shorthand u ...
, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Image:Pityusa Patera.jpg,
Pityusa Patera Pityusa Patera is a feature in the Mare Australe quadrangle of Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named fo ...
, as seen by HiRISE.


Craters showing layers

Many places on Mars show rocks arranged in layers. The study of layering on Mars greatly expanded when the Mars Global Surveyor sent back images. Rock can form layers in a variety of ways. Volcanoes, wind, or water can produce layers. A detailed discussion of layering with many Martian examples can be found in Sedimentary Geology of Mars. A paper by Grotzinger and Milliken discusses the role of water and wind in forming layers of sedimentary rocks. Since craters are low spots on the landscape material can more easily accumulate there and may resist erosion longer than other places. Image:Close-up of McMurdo Crater Layers.JPG, Close-up of Layers in wall of McMurdo Crater, as seen by HiRISE. Wikismith.jpg,
Smith Crater (Martian Crater) Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...
, as seen by CTX camera (on
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, an ...
). Wikismithdevils.jpg,
Dust devil tracks Martian dust devils (dust devils on Mars) were first photographed by the Viking orbiters in the 1970s. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder lander detected a dust devil passing over it. In the first image below, photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor, ...
in Smith Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Smith Crater. Wikilau.jpg, Lau Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Curved ridges are probably eskers which formed under glaciers. Wikilaudevilseskers.jpg, Close up of eskers in Lau Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). The dark lines are dust devil tracks. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Lau Crater. Wikiheaviside.jpg, Heaviside Crater (Martian Crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikiheavisidegullies.jpg, Gullies in a crater that is on the floor of Heaviside Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Heaviside Crater. Wikiliais.jpg, Liais (crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikiliaislayers.jpg, Layers is Liais crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Liais crater. Wikisoutheast.jpg, East side of South crater (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikisoutheastlayers.jpg, Layers in southern part of mound in South crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of east side of South crater. Wikisoutheastswiss.jpg, Layers just outside the rim of South crater in the form of "Swiss cheese," as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image of east side of South crater. Wikisouthwest.jpg, Western side of South crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikisouthwestlayers.jpg, Layers in mound in western side of South crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image of west side of South crater. Wikisouthwestswiss.jpg, Layers just outside rim of western side of South crater in the form of "Swiss cheese," as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image of west side of South crater. Wikirayleigh.jpg,
Rayleigh (Martian crater) Rayleigh is an impact crater in the Mare Australe quadrangle of Mars, located at 75.6°S latitude and 240.9°W longitude. It measures approximately 126 kilometers in diameter and was named after English physicist Lord Rayleigh. The name was appro ...
, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikirayleighlayers.jpg, Layers in Rayleigh crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Rayleigh crater.


Craters showing defrosting in spring

Wikimainwest.jpg, West side of
Main crater (Martian crater) Main is an impact crater on Mars, located in the Mare Australe quadrangle at 76.6°S latitude and 310.9°W longitude. It measures 109.0 kilometers in diameter and was named after Rev. Robert Main. The name was approved in 1973, by the Internatio ...
, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikimainwestspiders.jpg, Dust trails in Main crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Arrow indicates wind direction. In the spring, as the temperature rises, dry ice turns into a pressurized gas, and then blows through a weak spot and carries with it dust. If there is a wind, the dust is deposited in an elongated form as in this image. Wikirichardson.jpg, Richardson Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, an ...
). WikirichardsonPSP 002885 1080.jpg, Dunes and defrosting spots in Richardson Crater, as seen by HiRISE. It is thought that films of liquid water sometimes exist in and around the dark spots. Wikijeans.jpg, Jeans (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikijeanslayersspots.jpg, Jeans crater showing layers and dark spots from frost disappearing, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Jeans crater. Wikiplayfair.jpg, Playfair (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Dark dots are places where frost has disappeared. Wikiplayfairdefrosting.jpg, Defrosting going on in Playfair crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Dark areas are where frost has disappeared thereby showing dark ground. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Playfair crater. Wikilyell.jpg, Lyell (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikilyellgullies.jpg, Gullies in Lyell crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Lyell crater. Wikilyelldefrosting.jpg, Defrosting taking place in Lyell crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Dark areas are where frost has disappeared thereby showing dark ground. Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image of Lyell crater. Wikijolywest.jpg, West side of Joly (crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Wikijolywestspiders.jpg, Dark spots and "spiders" in Joly crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). "Spiders" appear as fuzzy spots; they are where dark dust is accumulating in channels below clear slabs of frozen carbon dioxide. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Joly crater. Wikijolyeskers.jpg, Eskers in Joly crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Eskers are the ridges in the image; they are formed by streams running under a glacier. Wikireynoldsdefrostingstreaks.jpg, Reynolds crater showing streaks from defrosting, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Layers are also visible. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous image of Reynolds crater. Streaks are caused by pressurized carbon dioxide blowing out dust that is blown by the wind into streaks. Wikireynoldslayers.jpg, Reynolds crater showing layers and dark spots from defrosting, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Area is covered by frost, when the frost disappears the underlying dark ground is exposed. Layers are also visible. Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image of Reynolds crater.


Polygons

Much of the surface of Mars shows the ground arranged into polygons of various sizes. Sometimes, during the right season the lows areas of polygons are full of frost. When this happens, the shapes are enhanced forming beautiful views. File:56148 1145polygonswide.jpg, Wide view of crater containing polygons with frost in the low parts, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program File:56148 1145polygonsclose.jpg, Closer view of polygons with frost in the low parts, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program File:56148 1145polygonsveryclose.jpg, Still closer view of polygons, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program File:56148 1145polygonsveryclosecircles.jpg, Close view of polygons with frost in the low parts, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program Circular shapes are also visible.


Swiss Cheese Terrain

Parts of Mare Australe display pits that make the surface look like Swiss cheese. These pits are in a 1-10 meter thick layer of dry ice that is sitting on a much larger water ice cap. Pits have been observed to begin with small areas along faint fractures. The circular pits have steep walls that work to focus sunlight, thereby increasing erosion. For a pit to develop a steep wall of about 10 cm and a length of over 5 meters in necessary.Buhler, Peter, Andrew Ingersoll, Bethany Ehlmann, Caleb Fassett, James Head. 2017. How the martian residual south polar cap develops quasi-circular and heart-shaped pits, troughs, and moats. Icarus: 286, 69-9. Image:South pole changes in two year period.JPG, Changes in South Pole surface from 1999 to 2001, as seen by
Mars Global Surveyor ''Mars Global Surveyor'' (MGS) was an American robotic space probe developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and launched November 1996. MGS was a global mapping mission that examined the entire planet, from the ionosphere down through t ...
. Image:Swiss Cheese in South.JPG, Swiss Cheese-like ice formations as seen by Mars Global Surveyor. Image:Swiss Cheese Layers.JPG, Swiss Cheese-like ice formations as seen by Mars Global Surveyor showing layers. Image:Swiss Cheese Terrain close-up.JPG, Close-up of Swiss Cheese Terrain, as seen by Mars Global Surveyor. Image:South Pole Terrain.jpg, HiRISE view of South Pole Terrain.


Layers

Image:South pole layers.jpg, This
HiRISE High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is a camera on board the '' Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006. The 65 kg (143 lb), US$40 million instrument was built under the direction ...
image shows layers running roughly up and down, along with faint polygonal fracturing. Polygonal fractures are mostly rectangular. Image:Mars South Polar Layers.JPG, South Pole layers, as seen by
THEMIS In Greek mythology and religion, Themis (; grc, Θέμις, Themis, justice, law, custom) is one of the twelve Titan children of Gaia and Uranus, and the second wife of Zeus. She is the goddess and personification of justice, divine order, fai ...
. ESP 048436 1020layers.jpg, Layers, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program ESP 048433 1040layers.jpg, Layers, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program File:ESP 057868 0995layers.jpg, Layers, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program


Other features in Mare Australe quadrangle

Image:Inca City.jpg, "Inca City" as seen by HiRISE. Light patches are frost deposits. Image:Angustus Labyrinthus.jpg, Angustus Labyrinthus, as seen by THEMIS. 48883 1010ridges.jpg, Ridge network, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program File:ESP 057868 0995layers.jpg, Layers, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program 48433 1040lowcenterpolygonsclose.jpg, Low center polygons, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program These features are common in ice-rich ground.


Other Mars quadrangles


Interactive Mars map


See also

*
Climate of Mars The climate of Mars has been a topic of scientific curiosity for centuries, in part because it is the only terrestrial planet whose surface can be directly observed in detail from the Earth with help from a telescope. Although Mars is smaller t ...
*
Dust Devil Tracks Martian dust devils (dust devils on Mars) were first photographed by the Viking orbiters in the 1970s. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder lander detected a dust devil passing over it. In the first image below, photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor, ...
*
HiRISE High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is a camera on board the '' Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006. The 65 kg (143 lb), US$40 million instrument was built under the direction ...
*
Impact crater An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...
*
List of quadrangles on Mars The surface of Mars has been divided into thirty cartographic quadrangles by the United States Geological Survey. Each quadrangle is a region covering a specified range of latitudes and longitudes on the Martian surface. The quadrangles are name ...
*
Martian polar ice caps The planet Mars has two permanent polar ice caps. During a pole's winter, it lies in continuous darkness, chilling the surface and causing the deposition of 25–30% of the atmosphere into slabs of CO2 ice (dry ice). When the poles are again exp ...
* Swiss cheese features * Geyser (Mars) *
Water on Mars Almost all water on Mars today exists as ice, though it also exists in small quantities as vapor in the atmosphere. What was thought to be low-volume liquid brines in shallow Martian soil, also called recurrent slope lineae, may be grains of ...
*
Martian Gullies Martian gullies are small, incised networks of narrow channels and their associated downslope sediment deposits, found on the planet of Mars. They are named for their resemblance to terrestrial gullies. First discovered on images from Mars Global ...


References


External links

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