6 September 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows
the termination (end) of a group of layers in the north polar region of
Mars, where they have been buried by younger, smoother-surfaced material.
The layers are the banded features at the right/lower right. They are
emerging by erosion from beneath the smoother material that dominates the
scene. As the smooth material erodes, its margins become rough and rugged.
No one knows the composition of the layered materials of the north polar
region; most believe that they are a mixture of various proportions of
ice, dust, and in some places, sand.
Location near: 81.3°N, 293.1°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: lower left
Season: Northern Spring
