3 March 2004
The north polar cap of Mars overlies a series of layered materials. The upper-most layers are light-toned and may include ice and perhaps dust. The lower layers may be less icy and contain some amount of dark sand. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an exposure of north polar layers located near 83.9°N, 237.9°W. This view covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.