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Altimeter of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Mars from 1998
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3-D Mars' North Pole
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3-D Mars' North Pole |
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This dramatic premier [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/agu_f98.html ] three-dimensional visualization of Mars' north pole is based on elevation measurements made by an orbiting laser. During the Spring and Summer [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/npole.html ] of 1998 the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html#Introduction ] (MOLA) flashed laser pulses toward the Martian surface from the Global Surveyor spacecraft and recorded the time it took to detect the reflection [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html#Principles ]. This timing data has now been translated to a detailed topographic map of Mars' north polar terrain [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980924.html ]. The map indicates that the ice cap is is about 1,200 kilometers across, a maximum of 3 kilometers thick, and cut by canyons and troughs up to 1 kilometer deep. The measurements also [ http://earth.agu.org/pubs/toc/gl/gl_25_24.html ] indicate that the cap is composed primarily of water ice with a total volume of only about four percent of planet Earth's Antarctic ice sheet [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951222.html ]. In all it represents at most a tenth of the amount of water some scientists believe once existed on ancient Mars [ http://www.sciam.com/1196issue/1196kargel.html ]. Where did all the water [ http://humbabe.arc.nasa.gov/mgcm/faq/wetmars.html ] go? |
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Topographical Mars
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Topographical Mars |
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Contrasting colors trace changing elevations in this new high-resolution topographic map of Mars [ http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/spacesci/pictures/mola/mars3d.htm ]. Just released [ ftp://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/PAO/Releases/1999/99-71.txt ], the data were gathered in 1998 and 1999 by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html#Introduction ] (MOLA) onboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. The martian topography is seen to range over 19 miles between the highest volcanic peaks (white) and the lowest regions (purple). Along with the striking difference [ http://www.msss.com/http/ps/di.html ] between the Red Planet's [ http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/contents.htm ] low northern hemisphere (top) and high southern regions, one of the most noticeable features on the map [ http://www-pdsimage.wr.usgs.gov/PDS/public/mapmaker/mapmkr.htm ] is the large blue-purple southern depression corresponding to the Hellas basin. Likely the result of an asteroid impact, Mars' deepest basin is about 1300 miles across making it one of the largest impact features [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960906.html ] in the Solar System. Explorations [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981216.html ] of MOLA's rich topographic database are expected to produce insights into water flows and the geologic history [ http://helio.estec.esa.nl/intermarsnet/redreport/node20.html ] of Mars. |
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