Released 22 December 2003

Several interesting impact craters are observed in this THEMIS image taken near Scamander Vallis that illustrate the dynamic nature of the Martian surface. The smallest crater at the bottom of the image shows dark streaks running down the crater walls that are likely due to small dust avalanches. The larger nearby crater has a well developed central peak and fluidized ejecta material that covers part of the eroded crater to the top of the image. The morphology of the ejecta suggests the impact may have occurred in a volatile rich surface.

Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 14.3, Longitude 29.5 East (330.5 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.