a-mar11-00080images
Mars : Periodic Layering in Becquerel Crater
- Reference
- a-mar11-00080
- Date
- 2008-12-12
Rhythmic bedding in sedimentary bedrock within Becquerel crater on Mars is suggested by the patterns in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Three dimensional analysis based on stereo pairs of images confirmed the regularity of repetition in the thickness of the beds. In the top half of this image, some of the rhythm is apparent as a series of bundles of about 10 individual layers per bundle. By corresponding to a known 10-to-one pattern in changes in the tilt of Mars' rotation axis, this pattern suggests the periodicity in the rock layers results from cyclical changes in the planet's tilt. Individual layers in the scence average 3.6 meters (12 feet) thick. The view is presented in enhanced color emphasizing the differing compositions of surface material. Sand trapped in relative low points in the terrain appears blue. Sedimentary rocks appear pink. This image was taken on June 10, 2007. The location of the imaged area is at 22 degrees north latitude, 352 degrees east longitude, within the Arabia Terra region.