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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 9h

Crevassed on Mars

This observation is part of a global campaign to look at glacier-like forms that show crevasse-like fractures on their surfaces. This image will also be useful for a study of fracture mechanics in viscous flow features on Mars.

uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_07...
#Mars #science #NASA

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 2d

HiPOD: Mighty Fine Layering

This scene is located in Candor Chasma, one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant landslides.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_076410_1740
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 3d

HiPOD: Strange Terrain

This image shows material almost completely filling an impact crater to the northeast of Hale Crater, perhaps water-rich ejecta from Hale itself.

More: https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_068549_1465
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 4d

HiPOD: Rounded Mounds in Northern Arabia Terra

The resolution of this image will help assess the nature and grain size of the sediment that makes up these mounds and whether layering is present.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_043834_2160
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 5d

HiPOD: Small Barchan Dunes

These crescent-shaped dunes are called ‘barchans” Barchans have a gentle slope on the upwind side and a much steeper slope on the lee side where horns or a notch often forms.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_076382_1350
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars

Enhanced color cutout shows a closeup of a a crescent-shaped dune called a "barchan dune" on the surface of Mars. The surrounding terrain is flat. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

Image cutout shows a number of small crescent-shaped dunes callled "barchan dunes" on the surface of Mars. The terrain around and between the dunes is relatively flat. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 6d

HiPOD: Dunes in Milankovic Crater

The science goal for this observation is to study seasonal dune and frost monitoring, as well as obtain detailed surface measurements.

More: https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_076399_2350
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #NASA #science

Image cutout shows a closeup of a group of dunes within an impact crater on Mars. The dunes appear like thick ribbons of material and extend from the top to the bottom of the image, which is less than 1 km across. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

Image cutout shows a large field of dunes on the floor of an impact crater on Mars. The dunes are of darker material than their surrounding terrain. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 7d

HiRISE 3D: Pitted Cones in Aurorae Chaos

What we have here are possible mud or igneous volcanoes.

Full image: https://www.uahirise.org/anaglyph/ESP_089107_1720_ESP_088540_1720_RED
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #NASA #science

3D image shows an eroded pitted cone on the surface of Mars. The scene is less than 5 km, or 3 miles, across. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 7d

HiPOD: A Layered Mesa in Deuteronilus Mensae

The objective of this observation is to examine a layered mesa in a small crater. The mesa appears to be higher than the crater rim.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_076393_2230
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #NASA #science

Image shows a highly eroded impact crater within a mesa on the surface of Mars. The surrounding terrain is flat, lacking significant features. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 8d

HiRISE 3D: Alluvial Fan and Light-Toned Deposits in Coprates Catena

From the science rationale: Any evidence for playas? How did the basin evolve?

Full image: https://www.uahirise.org/anaglyph/ESP_089187_1655_ESP_089121_1655_RED
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #NASA #science

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 8d

HiPOD: Future Travels in East Coprates Chasma

From the science rationale: “We are exploring rotorcraft mission concepts that would explore geology in Coprates Canyon. This concept may require traverse between the Valles Marineris floor and the plateau.”

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_076396_1640

Image cutout shows part of a canyon wall in Coprates Chasma on Mars. There are bright exposures of bedrock on some parts of the wall. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 9d

HiRISE 3D: Deposits in Ganges Chasma

There might be an alluvial fan here. Ganges Chasma is a deep canyon at the eastern end of the vast Valles Marineris system on Mars.

https://www.uahirise.org/anaglyph/ESP_089094_1725_ESP_088883_1725_RED
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #NASA #science

3D image shows a steep cliff in Ganges Chasma on Mars. The scene is less than 5 km, or 3 miles, across. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 9d

HiPOD: Mesa Monitoring

There were lots of recurring slope lineae candidates in an earlier observation of this area of Gorgonum Chaos that we acquired after a planet-encircling dust event on Mars in 2018.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_076374_1425
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #NASA

Image cutout shows several large mesas on the surface of Mars that are called chaotic terrain. The image is less than 5 km across. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

Image cutout shows a closeup of one of the mesas. There is a dark slope streak on one side and there are numerous boulders throughout the scene, which is less than 1 km across. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 10d

HiPOD: Crater Gullies at Multiple Elevations

Mars’ past climate may have permitted certain processes where water initially froze and melted seasonally, allowing for the formation of polygonal terrain and gully systems.

More: uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_06...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Enhanced color cutout shows deeply incised gullies on the wall of an impact crater on Mars. There are polygonal patterns in one of the gullies. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 11d

HiPOD: Sinuous Ridges in Elysium Planitia

A sinuous ridge is a thin and meandering formation that gives the appearance of a stream channel, but stays raised above the surface rather than incised into it.

More: uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_06...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #NASA

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 11d

HiPOD: Informative Layers

This image shows layering near the base of the South Polar layered deposits (SPLD). Radar observations of these deposits and their northern counterparts show that they are rich in water ice.

uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_06...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 13d

If you're in Tucson on Friday, October 3, consider stopping at the University of Arizona for some interesting events on hand.

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 13d

HiPOD: Inverted Fluvial Channels

Recent research interprets the tributary ridges found here as inverted fluvial channels formed through localized melting of an ancient crater wall glacier. There might also be new evidence for a “cold and icy” early Mars climate.

uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_07...

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 14d

HiPOD: A Recipe for Martian Scallops
A layer of clean ice lies just below the surface in this image. As the ice ablates away in some spots the surface dust collapses into the hole that’s left. These holes grow into the scallops visible here as more and more ice is lost.

uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_06...

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 15d

HiPOD: Eroding Sediments

This image shows evidence of a complex cycle of cratering and erosion. The center of the image covers an old impact crater, roughly 6 to 7 kilometers in diameter.

More: uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_06...

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 16d

HiPOD: Impact-Related Deposits and Flows near Jijiga Crater

The goal of this image to to observe how surface flow patterns in the area vary with distance from the proposed parent crater.

uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_07...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 18d

HiPOD: Eroded in Deuteronilus

The mound in this image is slightly removed from most of the other plateaus, and the lobate debris aprons surrounding it is highly degraded.

More: uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_06...

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA

Image cutout shows a large and highly eroded plateau on the surface of Mars. The terrain surrounding the terrain is much flatter and smooth than the mesa. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 19d

Addendum: the enhanced color cutout uses the infrared-red-blue swath, so the dunes appear more blueish. It would not look like that to our eyes if we were there, however.

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 19d

Yes, it does. It's enough to sculpt the landscape over the ages, as well as clearing off accumulated dust on the solar panels of rovers and landers that allow them to keep operating for so long.

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 19d

HiPOD: Dunes over Time

Sand dunes are among the most widespread, wind-driven features present on Mars. Their distribution and shape are sensitive to subtle shifts in wind circulation patterns and wind strengths.

uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_07...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · 21d

HiSlides for September 2025: www.uahirise.org/epo/hislides/

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