Layers and Clays
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Layers and Clays
PSP_008060_1770  Science Theme: Composition and Photometry
This observation was taken in Miyamoto Crater in southwest Meridiani, an area near the equator of Mars. This image is located to the east of one of the potential Mars Science Laboratory landing sites and is near the contact between the hematite-bearing plains unit to the northeast (where the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is exploring) and the clay-bearing unit to the southwest.

Aeolian (wind deposited) processes are active here, which are visible in dunes and ripples, most likely made of basaltic sand. The bedrock contains clay minerals (phyllosilicates) that form in the presence of water. These have been detected in higher concentrations in other areas of Mars such as Mawrth Vallis and Nili Fossae, but detections of lesser abundance have been noticed in Meridiani as well.

Written by: Jennifer Griffes  (14 May 2008)
 
Acquisition date
15 April 2008

Local Mars time
15:05

Latitude (centered)
-3.216°

Longitude (East)
352.975°

Spacecraft altitude
267.9 km (166.5 miles)

Original image scale range
26.9 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~81 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
4.9°

Phase angle
55.6°

Solar incidence angle
52°, with the Sun about 38° above the horizon

Solar longitude
59.0°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  36.4°
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RGB color
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8K (TIFF)
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
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HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
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Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

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All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.