Nadir photo of Syrtis Major showing selected areas
Nadir photo of Syrtis Major showing selected areas
The nadir channel, pointed vertically at the surface, supplies the highest resolution data of any of the HRSC camera system channels. During orbit 9487, Mars Express was about 440 kilometres above the volcanic region of Syrtis Major, giving a resolution of 19 metres per pixel. The area shown is about 180 kilometres by 90 kilometres.
Image box 1 shows how various solidified lava flows overlap and can be differentiated from one another through their flow fronts. Image box 2 shows two impact craters – the shape of the older crater is barely discernible through the low-viscosity lava cover. A little higher is an old crater about 20 kilometres in size (image box 3), which was not affected by the lava flows. In its interior lies a central mountain and an extensive field of sickle dunes whose dark colouring indicates that its composition is of volcanic nature.
Copyright note:
As a joint undertaking by DLR, ESA and FU Berlin, the Mars Express HRSC images are published under a Creative Commons licence since December 2014: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. This licence will also apply to all HRSC images released to date.