Mars - Mars Global Surveyor

Complex Rectilinear Ridges Near the Martian South Pole

Mars
This system of ridges is located near the south pole of Mars. The ridges show a rectilinear pattern which may represent the remains of an old deposit below the polar layered deposits, but the origin of the ridges is unknown. They may be wind-created features which have been cemented or frozen with looser material in the centers removed by wind. The dark spots are 20 to 100 m across and are not well understood either. The frame is 20 x 14 km and is centered at 81.5 S, 64.6 W. The image was taken during late southern spring at 1:00 p.m. local time. North is at 11:00. (Mars Global Surveyor, MRPS87582)
Larger image: 215K

High resolution tiff file (519K)

Location & Time Information
Date/Time (UT): 1998-01-01 T 01:04:09
Distance/Range (km): 4167.30
Central Latitude/Longitude (deg): -81.48, 64.63 W
Orbit(s): 79

Imaging Information
Area or Feature Type: ridges, albedo features
Instrument: Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
Instrument Resolution (pixels): 2048 line array, 8-bit
Instrument Field of View (deg): 0.4
Filter: N/A
Illumination Incidence Angle (deg): 58.59
Phase Angle (deg): 25.53
Instrument Look Direction: N/A
Surface Emission Angle (deg): 58.14

Ordering Information
CD-ROM Volume: MGSC_0002
NASA Image ID number: MRPS87582
Other Image ID number:
NSSDC Data Set ID (Photo): XD-12A
NSSDC Data Set ID (CD): 96-062A-01A (raw image)
Other ID: AB107908 (raw image)

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[NASA Logo] Authors/Curators:

Dave Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov, (301) 286-1258
Code 690.1, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

Jay Friedlander, jay.s.friedlander@nasa.gov, (301) 286-7172
Code 612.4, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

NASA Official: Dr. David R. Williams, David.R.Williams@nasa.gov
Last updated: 24 September 2015