[meteorite-list] Mars Express Image: The Grabens of Claritas Fossae

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Oct 5 13:16:27 2004
Message-ID: <200410051715.KAA04222_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMAVQMKPZD_0.html

The grabens of Claritas Fossae
European Space Agency
Mars Express
5 October 2004

These images, taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board
ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, show the Claritas Fossae tectonic grabens
and part of the Solis Planum plains.
 
Claritas Fossae and Solis Planum in colour

The images were taken during orbit 508 in June 2004 with a ground
resolution of approximately 40 metres per pixel. The displayed region is
the eastern part of Claritas Fossae and the western part of Solis Planum
at longitude 260? East and latitude of about 28? South.

The diffuse blue-white streaks in the northern parts of the scene are
clouds or aerosols.

The Claritas Fossae ("fossa" is Latin for trough) region is
characterised by systems of "grabens" running mainly north-west to
south-east. These can be traced several hundred kilometres up to the
northern Tharsis shield volcanoes.

 

Map showing Claritas Fossae in context

A graben forms when a block of the planet's crust drops down between two
faults, due to extension, or pulling, of the crust.

Grabens are often seen together with features called "horsts", which are
upthrown blocks lying between two steep-angled fault blocks.

A "horst and graben" system can occur where there are several parallel
faults.

 
 
Claritas Fossae - nadir detail

Claritas Fossae detail view in black and white

Geographically, the grabens separate the eastern volcanic plains of the
Solis Planum region from the western Daedalia Planum lava plains.

The lava blankets of the Solis Planum area cover the eastern parts of
the older Claritas Fossae ridge and surround some of the higher ground.

 
 
Claritas Fossae - perspective view

Claritas Fossae close-up view, looking east

The geological history of this region can be reconstructed by analysing
the layers of tectonic grabens, impact craters, volcanic features and
even small valley networks.

The complexity of this superposition record suggests that some of the
events took place at the same time.

 
 
Claritas Fossae - nadir detail

Claritas Fossae crater detailed view, black and white

The detailed view of the large southern impact crater shows patches of
dark material which are located near the central and marginal parts of
the impact crater floor. This material may be of volcanic origin.
 
 

Claritas Fossae perspective view, looking west
 
Image resolution has been decreased for use on the internet. The colour
images were processed using the nadir (vertical view) and colour
channels. The perspective views were calculated from the digital terrain
model derived from the stereo channels.

The 3D anaglyph image was created from the nadir channel and one of the
stereo channels. Stereoscopic glasses are needed to view the 3D image.

 
Claritas Fossae in 3D, wide view
 
The HRSC experiment on ESA's Mars Express mission is led by the
Principal Investigator Prof. Gerhard Neukum of the Freie Universit?t
Berlin, who also designed the camera. The experiment's science team
consists of 45 Co-Investigators from 10 nations.

The camera was developed at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and built
in co-operation with industrial partners EADS Astrium, Lewicke
Microelectronic GmbH and Jena-Optronic GmbH). The HRSC is operated by
DLR Institute of Planetary Research through ESA's European Space
Operations Centre, Darmstadt.

The systematic processing of image data is carried out at DLR. The
images shown here were processed by the FU Berlin group in co-operation
with DLR, Berlin.
Received on Tue 05 Oct 2004 01:15:10 PM PDT