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> Mars: avalanches on North Polar Scarps

Mars: avalanches on North Polar Scarps

author: NASA/JPL/Univ. of Arizona/Novapix

reference: a-mar11-00055

Image Size 300 DPI: 21 * 16 cm

This image shows clouds of particles near a steep cliff in the northern polar region of Mars. These clouds, rolling or hovering close to the ground yet reaching up tens of meters high (up to 180 feet), are likely the result of an avalanche or fall of mostly carbon-dioxide frost. The frost clings to the scarp in the darkness of winter and may be disrupted by sunlight and thermal processes with the coming of spring. The cliff, approximately 700 meters (2000 feet) high is made up of layers of water ice with varying dust content, roughly similar to the polar ice caps on Earth. On top is bright white carbon-dioxide ice and frost. Image taken by Mars Reconnaissance orbiter (MRO) on 27 January 2010.

Keywords for this photo:

2010 - ASTRONOMY - AVALANCHE - CARBON DIOXIDE - CLIFF - HIRISE - MARS - MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER - MRO - PLANET -