Nili Fossae Region on Mars
Image of the Nili Fossae region of Mars was compiled from separate images taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) and the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), two instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The images were taken at 0730 UTC (2:30 EDT) on Oct. 4, 2006, near degrees north latitude, degrees east longitude. CRISM's image was taken in 544 colors covering to micrometers, and shows features as small as 60 feet across. Areas rich in olivine are shown in red, and minerals rich in clay are shown in green. The three boxes outlined in blue are enlarged to show how the different minerals in the scene match up with different landforms. Taken together, the CRISM and HiRISE data show that the clay-rich rocks are the oldest at the site, that they are exposed where overlying rock has been eroded away, and that the olivine is not part of the clay-rich rock. Rather it occurs in sand dunes blowing across the clay.
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Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: astronomical, astronomy, astrophotography, clay, compact, crism, experiment, exploration, fossae, geology, high-resolution, hirise, image, imaging, mars, mineral, minerals, nili, olivine, orbiter, photography, planet, planetary, reconnaissance, region, science, space, spectrometer, surface, topography
