Mist-capped Volcanoes of Mars: Amazingly clear images of how the Red Planet was transformed by meteo

These stunning images of mist-capped volcanoes on Mars show how the northern hemisphere of the Red Planet was transformed by meteor impacts. The collisions, which took place long after volcanic activity ceased, deposited ejected material over the lower flanks of the volcanoes, Ceraunius Tholus and the smaller Uranius Tholus. Permanent and transient features are on display in the images, taken by Mars Express and just released by the European Space Agency (ESA)

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Neighbouring volcanoes: This image taken by Mars Express shows Ceraunius Tholus and the smaller Uranius Tholus, which were caused by meteor impacts

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The Latin word 'tholus' means a conical dome and the base of Ceraunius Tholus is 80miles across, while the peak rises 3.4miles above the surrounding plains. At its summit is a large caldera that measures 15.5miles across.

Taken from data acquired during three orbits by the probe between 25 November, 2004 and 22 June, 2006, the dead volcanoes were not expected to change in appearance. But, during the middle orbit, Mars Express captured icy clouds drifting past the summit of Ceraunius Tholus. By the time the probe crossed again and took the final strip of data needed for this image, the clouds had long since dispersed and so there is a sharp line across them in the finished mosaic.

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Lying 37miles to the north, Uranius Tholus is a smaller volcano with a base diameter of 38.5miles and a height of 2.8miles.

The flanks of Ceraunius Tholus are relatively steep and are etched with valleys that are deeply cut in many places. This suggests that soft and easily-eroded material, such as layers of ash, were deposited during the volcano’s eruptions. The largest and deepest of these valleys is about 2.2miles wide and 300metres deep. It terminates inside an otherwise unrelated elongated impact crater that happens to lie between the two volcanoes, and has created a fascinating fan shape of deposits. Although the source of the fan is still being debated in scientific circles, it may have been formed when material from a lava channel or tube was washed downwards by a melting ice cap on the volcano. Caused by an oblique impact by a meteorite, the elongated crater between the two volcanoes is called Rahe and measures 22miles by 11.2miles.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk...

They just keep teasing us with this stuff.

Are the colors real or done over? To me, the pics look somewhat photoshopped?

Anyone else?

Anyway, pretty cool stuff. Someone, someday is gonna make a career exploring that area. Like a Lewis & Clarke team. Lucky basta..s

Messing with the color schemes of planets is a mandatory NASA mission it seems. Remember how they said the sky on Mars was red, then claimed it was blue and they only used red filters to enhance the surface features? I remember, I did college reports about the face on Mars back in the early 90s, I've been looking at Mars most of my life. They love to tease us, and we never get a straight answer.

Icy clouds?? I'm no meteorologist but surely that means water and some sort of atmosphere?
Btw s&f

reply to post by anon72


Thanks for this, these are some amazing photos.
I love in the first two shots that you can see where the ice has melted and the water has run down the hill side forming the pool shaped divit below.
The questions that this find allow will ask are countless. This find alone should keep the scientist busy for a long time. I just hope we finally get some answers.


f&s

reply to post by JibbyJedi


You can see by that ESA credit in the corner this picture is processed by the European Space Agency.

About images and the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC)

What can the images from the Mars Express HRSC tell us?

The HRSC is the first fully functional stereo camera in the history of planetary research. Computer animations enable its images to be turned and tilted, so that the observer has a real feeling of dashing about over the surface of the planet.

The 3D pictures enable exact reproductions of the relief. This, in turn, enables scientists, for the first time, to make a detailed examination of the altimetry of the Martian surface, to calculate the slope of the valleys, study the layer formation and calculate the masses of mountains.

In short, the images provide important data for the geomorphological and geological interpretation of the surface of Mars.

How do the Mars Express HRSC pictures get back to Earth?

Before the HRSC team can lay their hands on the pictures, the data have to make the long journey back home. After the pictures are taken and stored on board Mars Express, the data is transmitted to ESA’s New Norcia Station in Australia, or to NASA’s Deep Space Network Station in Madrid. From there, the data are collected at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) at Darmstadt in Germany. They are then transmitted to the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR) in Berlin, where most of them will be processed into the pictures we see.

How long does it take to process pictures, and why?

It usually takes between four and seven days for a picture to be ‘ready’. Depending on the picture size, analysis objective and the amount of computer capacity available, this period can easily stretch to ten to fourteen days. These techniques are still very new and recently gained knowledge and experience has often meant that more-expensive picture processing is required.

From the start of January to the middle of February, Mars Express produced a total of 18 strips of pictures in 100 orbits of Mars. In general, one orbit produces an image with a length of over 250 000 lines, sometimes more, sometimes less. The calculations required and combination of the channels takes a lot of computing time. All new images have to be released by the Principle Investigator to the Co-Investigators, and then are prepared for release to the media and the public - this can take up to a week per image.

www.esa.int...

reply to post by Misterlondon


Excellent. You're on it.

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