Meter-Scale Morphology of the North Polar Region of Mars

Mars' north pole is covered by a dome of layered ice deposits. Detailed (∼30 centimeters per pixel) images of this region were obtained with the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Planum Boreum basal unit scarps reveal cross-bedding and sh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science
Main Authors: Herkenhoff, K. E., Byrne, S., Russell, P. S., Fishbaugh, K. E., McEwen, A. S.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2007
Subjects:
North Pole
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1143544
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1143544
Description
Summary:Mars' north pole is covered by a dome of layered ice deposits. Detailed (∼30 centimeters per pixel) images of this region were obtained with the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Planum Boreum basal unit scarps reveal cross-bedding and show evidence for recent mass wasting, flow, and debris accumulation. The north polar layers themselves are as thin as 10 centimeters but appear to be covered by a dusty veneer in places, which may obscure thinner layers. Repetition of particular layer types implies that quasi-periodic climate changes influenced the stratigraphic sequence in the polar layered deposits, informing models for recent climate variations on Mars.

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