PIA03974: Defrosting Terrain
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows dark spots and streaks formed in seasonal frost covering terrain in the martian south polar region.
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) 
 Spacecraft:  Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
 Instrument:  Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) 
 Product Size:  836 x 1704 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Producer ID:  MOC2-1137  
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA03974.tif (1.426 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA03974.jpg (159.8 kB)  

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Original Caption Released with Image:

29 June 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark spots and streaks formed in seasonal frost covering terrain in the martian south polar region. This springtime image shows the frost, which formed in the previous autumn and winter, as it is starting to change and sublime away. Dark streaks indicate the direction of winds that have moved some of the defrosting material.

Location near: 84.7°S, 259.3°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season Southern Spring

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2005-06-29