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Three Craters: Above and Below Click on image for high resolution TIFF |
Three Craters: Below and Above Click on image for high resolution TIFF |
This computer graphic image shows three craters in the eastern Hellas
region of Mars containing concealed glaciers detected by radar. The image
shows how the surface looks today with the ice covered with a layer of
Martian soil. The image was created using image data from the Context
Camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft combined with
results from the SHARAD radar sounder on MRO and HRSC digital elevation
map from the Mars Express spacecraft. The color of the Martian surface and
ice was estimated from MRO HiRISE color images of other Martian craters
and the polar ice caps. The buried ice in these craters as measured by
SHARAD is ~ 250 meter thick on the upper crater and ~ 300 and 450 meters
on the middle and lower levels respectively. Each image is 20 km (12.8
mi.) across and extends to 50 km (32 mi) in the distance.
Recent measurements from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter SHARAD radar
sounder have detected large amounts of water ice in such deposits over
widespread areas, arguing for the flow of glacial-like structures on Mars
in the relatively recent geologic past. This suggests that snow and ice
accumulated on higher topography, flowed downhill and is now protected
from sublimation by a layer of rock debris and dust. Furrows and ridges on
the surface were caused by deforming ice.
About the Movie
The movie begins with a view of how the surface looks today. A blue line
is drawn on the image and an artist's concept then reveals what the ice
may look like underneath. The movie was created using image data from the
Context Camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft
combined with results from the SHARAD radar sounder on MRO and HRSC
digital elevation map from the Mars Express spacecraft. The color of the
Martian surface and ice was estimated from MRO HiRISE color images of
other Martian craters and the polar ice caps. The buried ice in these
craters as measured by SHARAD is ~ 250 meter thick on the upper crater and
~ 300 and 450 meters on the middle and lower levels respectively. Each
image is 20 km (12.8 mi.) across and extends to 50 km (32 mi) in the
distance.