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Tikhonravov Layers

June 24, 2005
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows some of the circular pits and spectacular buttes and mesas formed in the frozen carbon dioxide of the martian south polar residual cap.

24 June 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a view of some of the circular pits and spectacular buttes and mesas formed in the frozen carbon dioxide of the martian south polar residual cap. The scarps that bound each pit and mesa have been observed by MOC to retreat at an average rate of about 3 meters (~3 yards) during each southern summer season that the spacecraft has been in orbit. A new summer season will start in mid-August 2005.

Location near: 86.9°S, 5.3°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Spring

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