Avalanche Captured on Mars

2008 March 11

A very interesting capture from the latest HiRISE images...

Skiers beware...

An avalanche on Mars captured in progress..

Visible in the above picture, digitally rescaled, are several layers of white ice thawing over red rock, with darker colors toward the right indicated Martian soil that mixed with lesser amounts of ice. As the cliff of over 700 meters high was thawing, falling ice crashed down raising plumes of ice and dust so thick they cast visible shadows. The scarp has slopes with grades greater than 60 degrees. The entire scene is illuminated from the upper right by the Sun. A thaw occurs each spring in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars...

apod.nasa.gov...

Hi Zorgon --

This is great stuff, but I believe it was already discussed here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Dagnabbit!!

That's what happens when you have to work for a living...



Thanks for the link... Mods can close this one