Radar images of Mars

• Main Authors: Muhleman, Duane O., Butler, Bryan J., Grossman, Arie W., Slade, Martin A.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1991
• Subjects: 91; Ice cap
• Online Access: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19910069528

VLA radar-reflected flux-density mappings have yielded full disk images of Mars which reveal near-surface features, including a region in the Tharsis volcano area that displayed no echo to the very low level of the radar-system noise. This feature is interpreted as a deposit of dust or ash whose density is less than about 0.5 g/cu cm; it must be several meters thick, and may be much deeper. The most strongly reflecting geological feature was the south polar ice cap, which is interpretable as arising from nearly-pure CO2 or H2O ice, with less than 2 vol pct Martian dust. Only one anomalous reflecting feature was identified outside the Tharsis region.