Cryptic terrain in Australe Scopuli on Mars
This image from ESA’s Mars Express shows a southern polar region of Mars known as Australe Scopuli. The area is rich in features resulting from the arrival of spring and the retreat of the ice cap.
Click on the labels in this image to explore the features in detail.
This image comprises data gathered by Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on 2 April 2024 (orbit 25569). It was created using data from the nadir channel, the field of view aligned perpendicular to the surface of Mars, and the colour channels of the HRSC. North is to the top-right. The ground resolution is approximately 16 m/pixel and the image is centred at about 265°E/85°S.
[Image description: Image of the surface of Mars. A stack of light and dark layers exposed in the side of steep cliff wind from the centre left of the image to centre bottom. The bottom left and right hand side of the image is smooth and undulating. A mottled pattern of irregular-shaped dark polygons dominate the centre of the image, their edges rich in bright ice. The rest of the scene is pockmarked by groups of either bright and icy or dark and dusty fan or arrowhead-like shapes, their tails spreading out in the direction of the prevailing wind.]
