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05.08.2011
HRSC Press Release #517 - North Polar Ice Cap (orbit 8160)
![RGB Colour Image [1]](javascript:popup('RGB Colour Image [1]','./preleases/517/medres/518-20110707-8160-6-co-1-North_IceCap.jpg','RGB Colour Image [1] <br> [#517 North Polar Ice Cap (Orbit 8160)]')) RGB Colour Image [1] |
On 17 May 2010 the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), under the leadership of the Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Gerhard Neukum of Freie Universitaet Berlin, onboard the ESA spacecraft Mars Express obtained image data in orbit 8160 with a ground resolution of approximately 85 meters per pixel. The data were acquired in the North Pole region at approximately 85° northern latitude and 336° eastern longitude. The scenes shown here were created at the Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, at the Institute of Geological Sciences of the Freie Universitaet Berlin.
![Context Map [2]](javascript:popup('Context Map [2]','./preleases/517/medres/517-20110707-8160-6-ctxt-1-North_IceCap.jpg','Context Map [2] <br> [#517 North Polar Ice Cap (Orbit 8160)]')) Context Map [2] |
The picture shows a part of the north polar region of Mars. Like on Earth, the polar caps migrate towards the south in winter time. The ice shield is composed of water ice, which is covered by layers of carbon dioxide. During the Martian summer, the frozen CO2 sublimates into the atmosphere and the polar caps retrieve back to the poles. In contrast to the South Pole region (see HRSC Press Release #509 - Ulyxis Rupes (orbit 8995)) the CO2 layers are much thinner at the North Pole and only some decimeters thick. The maximum thickness of the north polar cap is about 3 km and comparable to the ice-shield of Greenland on Earth. The Martian polar ice caps can be detected from Earth even with a small telescope.
![Feature Map [3]](javascript:popup('Feature Map [3]','./preleases/517/medres/517-20110707-8160-6-ft-1-North_IceCap.jpg','Feature Map [3] <br> [#517 North Polar Ice Cap (Orbit 8160)]')) Feature Map [3] |
Chasma Boreale (box 1) is a canyon about 2 km deep, 580 km long and about 100 km wide. It was named after a classical albedo feature. The canyon walls allow a perfect view into the stratigraphy of the deposits. On the canyon floor some impact craters are visible which are heavily covered by sand or are partially exhumed.
![Nadir Image [4]](javascript:popup('Nadir Image [4]','./preleases/517/medres/517-20110707-8160-6-nd-1-North_IceCap.jpg','Nadir Image [4] <br> [#517 North Polar Ice Cap (Orbit 8160)]')) Nadir Image [4] |
Dark and light-toned deposits are visible in a fine and regular bedding (box 2). The darker sediments are caused by the seasonal dust storms when windblown sand settles on the icy surface. With changing seasons rhythmic deposits develop as can be seen on the picture.
![Red-cyan anaglyph [5]](javascript:popup('Red-cyan anaglyph [5]','./preleases/517/medres/519-20110707-8160-6-an-1-North_IceCap.jpg','Red-cyan anaglyph [5] <br> [#517 North Polar Ice Cap (Orbit 8160)]')) Red-cyan anaglyph [5] |
The north polar ice cap is surrounded by a large dune field (box 3), which partially extends 600 km to the south. The sandy, dark material originates from a sediment layer below the ice shield and could be dispersed by the annual movements of the ice shield and by the force of wind.
Die Farbansichten wurden aus dem senkrecht blickenden Nadirkanal und den Farbkanälen erstellt. Die Anaglyphen werden aus zwei Stereokanälen abgeleitet. Die schwarzweißen Detailaufnahmen wurden dem Nadirkanal entnommen, der von allen Kanälen die höchste Auflösung zur Verfügung stellt.
The colour scenes have been derived from the three HRSC-colour channels and the nadir channel. The anaglyph image was calculated from two stereo channels. The black and white high resolution images were derived from the nadir channel which provides the highest detail of all channels.
Das Kameraexperiment HRSC auf der Mission Mars Express der
Europäischen Weltraumorganisation ESA wird vom Principal Investigator Prof. Dr.
Gerhard Neukum (Freie Universität Berlin), der auch die technische Konzeption der
hochauflösenden Stereokamera entworfen hatte, geleitet. Das
Wissenschaftsteam besteht aus 40 Co-Investigatoren aus 33 Institutionen und zehn
Nationen. Die Kamera wurde am Deutschen Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) unter der
Leitung des Principal Investigators (PI) G. Neukum entwickelt und in Kooperation mit
industriellen Partnern gebaut (EADS Astrium, Lewicki Microelectronic GmbH und Jena
-Optronik GmbH). Sie wird vom DLR -Institut für Planetenforschung in Berlin-Adlershof
betrieben. Die systematische Prozessierung der Daten erfolgt am DLR. Die Darstellungen
wurden vom Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften der FU Berlin in Zusammenarbeit
mit dem DLR-Institut für Planetenforschung erstellt.
The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) experiment on the ESA Mars Express Mission is led by the
Principal Investigator (PI) Prof. Dr. Gerhard Neukum who also designed the camera technically. The
science team of the experiment consists of 40 Co-Investigators from 33 institutions and 10 nations.
The camera was developed at the German
Aerospace Center (DLR) under
the leadership of the PI G. Neukum and built in cooperation with industrial partners (EADS
Astrium, Lewicki Microelectronic GmbH and Jena-Optronik GmbH). The experiment on Mars Express
is operated by the DLR Institute of Planetary Research, through ESA/ESOC. The systematic
processing of the HRSC image data is carried out at DLR. The scenes shown here were created
by the PI-group at the Institute for Geological Sciences of the Freie Universitaet Berlin in
cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin.
Download
hochaufgelöste Bilddaten / high resolution image data
| Context Map [2]: |
| Feature Map [3]: |
| Nadir Image [4]: |
| Red-cyan anaglyph [5]: |
| RGB Colour Image [1]: |
© Copyright: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)
