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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Meter-scale morphology of the north polar region of Mars
K E Herkenhoff1, S Byrne, P S Russell
1Astrogeology Team, United States Geological Survey (USGS), Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA. kherkenhoff@usgs.gov
Abstract:
Mars' north pole is covered by a dome of layered ice deposits. Detailed ( approximately 30 centimeters per pixel) images of this region were obtained with the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Planum Boreum basal unit scarps reveal cross-bedding and show evidence for recent mass wasting, flow, and debris accumulation. The north polar layers themselves are as thin as 10 centimeters but appear to be covered by a dusty veneer in places, which may obscure thinner layers. Repetition of particular layer types implies that quasi-periodic climate changes influenced the stratigraphic sequence in the polar layered deposits, informing models for recent climate variations on Mars.
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