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Polar Terminus

Sept. 6, 2006
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the termination (end) of a group of layers in the north polar region of Mars, where they have been buried by younger, smoother-surfaced material.

6 September 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the termination (end) of a group of layers in the north polar region of Mars, where they have been buried by younger, smoother-surfaced material. The layers are the banded features at the right/lower right. They are emerging by erosion from beneath the smoother material that dominates the scene. As the smooth material erodes, its margins become rough and rugged. No one knows the composition of the layered materials of the north polar region; most believe that they are a mixture of various proportions of ice, dust, and in some places, sand.

Location near: 81.3°N, 293.1°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: lower left
Season: Northern Spring

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