A cracking Martian glacier?
Click for entire image.
Cool image time! The photo to the right, cropped to post here, was taken on December 4, 2020 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
I have cropped it to show at full resolution the area that contains what the scientists apparently consider the most interesting feature in this image, which they have labeled as “pits forming lines.” These are the vertical cracks and strings of holes that can be seen in this glacier-like flow. In addition, you can see that the cracking is not just vertical, but also extends out in horizontal directions, though the widest cracks are all vertical.
The next image below, which is a lower resolution crop of the full photo, shows a wider view to provide a better picture of the glacier itself.
The white box marks the area covered by the first photo above. The white arrows indicate my guess of the downhill flow direction of this apparent glacier, which seems to split at the eastern mesa into northeastern and southern flows.
The red box in the overview map below marks the location of this glacier, in the northern part of the chaos region dubbed Protonilus Mensae that is also part if what I have dubbed Mars’ mensae glacier country.
The numbered black boxes indicate cool images in this region that I have previously featured:
- 1. Buried glaciers flowing off of Martian mesa
- 2. Brain Terrain on Mars
- 3. How to spot a glacier on Mars
- 4. Glacier country on Mars
- 5. Revisiting Mars’ glacier country
- 6. Back to Mars’ glacier country
So, why the cracks? My guess is that at some time when this glacier was flowing (which is probably not now), the flow rate in this section was faster than the deposition rate of ice, so the glacier started to spread, producing the cracks. The vertical cracks, perpendicular to the flow, were pulled apart, and thus produced the holes. The horizontal cracks, parallel to the flow, were merely elongated which is why they are not as wide.
It is also possible that this ice might less protected by dust and debris, so that it is now sublimating away, thus causing these holes and cracks to widen with time.
The photo illustrates again why I call this Mars’ glacier country. Every photo of every mesa you see in the overview map has similar glacier-like features. There is a lot of buried ice in this region on Mars, all there for future explorers to mine to their heart’s content.
Readers!
I must unfortunately ask you for your financial support because I do not depend on ads and rely entirely on the generosity of readers to keep Behind the Black running. You can either make a one time donation for whatever amount you wish, or you sign up for a monthly subscription ranging from $2 to $15 through Paypal or $3 to $50 through Patreon.
Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Your support is even more essential to me because I not only keep this site free from advertisements, I do not use the corrupt social media companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook to promote my work. I depend wholly on the direct support of my readers.
You can provide that support to Behind The Black with a contribution via Patreon or PayPal. To use Patreon, go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation. For PayPal click one of the following buttons:
If Patreon or Paypal don't work for you, you can support Behind The Black directly by sending your donation by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman, to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
Or you can donate by using Zelle through your bank. You will need to give my name and email address (found at the bottom of the "About" page). The best part of this electronic option is that no fees will be deducted! What you donate will be what I receive.
Click for entire image.
Cool image time! The photo to the right, cropped to post here, was taken on December 4, 2020 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
I have cropped it to show at full resolution the area that contains what the scientists apparently consider the most interesting feature in this image, which they have labeled as “pits forming lines.” These are the vertical cracks and strings of holes that can be seen in this glacier-like flow. In addition, you can see that the cracking is not just vertical, but also extends out in horizontal directions, though the widest cracks are all vertical.
The next image below, which is a lower resolution crop of the full photo, shows a wider view to provide a better picture of the glacier itself.
The white box marks the area covered by the first photo above. The white arrows indicate my guess of the downhill flow direction of this apparent glacier, which seems to split at the eastern mesa into northeastern and southern flows.
The red box in the overview map below marks the location of this glacier, in the northern part of the chaos region dubbed Protonilus Mensae that is also part if what I have dubbed Mars’ mensae glacier country.
The numbered black boxes indicate cool images in this region that I have previously featured:
- 1. Buried glaciers flowing off of Martian mesa
- 2. Brain Terrain on Mars
- 3. How to spot a glacier on Mars
- 4. Glacier country on Mars
- 5. Revisiting Mars’ glacier country
- 6. Back to Mars’ glacier country
So, why the cracks? My guess is that at some time when this glacier was flowing (which is probably not now), the flow rate in this section was faster than the deposition rate of ice, so the glacier started to spread, producing the cracks. The vertical cracks, perpendicular to the flow, were pulled apart, and thus produced the holes. The horizontal cracks, parallel to the flow, were merely elongated which is why they are not as wide.
It is also possible that this ice might less protected by dust and debris, so that it is now sublimating away, thus causing these holes and cracks to widen with time.
The photo illustrates again why I call this Mars’ glacier country. Every photo of every mesa you see in the overview map has similar glacier-like features. There is a lot of buried ice in this region on Mars, all there for future explorers to mine to their heart’s content.
I must unfortunately ask you for your financial support because I do not depend on ads and rely entirely on the generosity of readers to keep Behind the Black running. You can either make a one time donation for whatever amount you wish, or you sign up for a monthly subscription ranging from $2 to $15 through Paypal or $3 to $50 through Patreon.
Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Your support is even more essential to me because I not only keep this site free from advertisements, I do not use the corrupt social media companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook to promote my work. I depend wholly on the direct support of my readers.
You can provide that support to Behind The Black with a contribution via Patreon or PayPal. To use Patreon, go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation. For PayPal click one of the following buttons:
If Patreon or Paypal don't work for you, you can support Behind The Black directly by sending your donation by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman, to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
Or you can donate by using Zelle through your bank. You will need to give my name and email address (found at the bottom of the "About" page). The best part of this electronic option is that no fees will be deducted! What you donate will be what I receive.
Bob, I always love your cool images. Keep ’em coming!
Steve Golson: Thank you. Space news is somewhat light this week so far. Moreover, the Lunar Planetary conference is going on, which is taking up much of my time. I managed to do this cool image between talks. (I am listening to a presentation even as I type.)