This is a radargram from the Shallow Radar instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, showing a cross-section of Mars' north polar cap, based on time lags of radio-wave echoes returning from different layers.

September 22, 2009

This is a labeled radargram from the Shallow Radar instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, showing a cross-section of Mars' north polar cap, based on time lags of radio-wave echoes returning from different layers. The penetrating radar reveals icy layered deposits overlying a basal unit in some areas. The vertical dimension in the cross-section is exaggerated one-hundred-fold compared with the horizontal dimension. The vertical scale bar is one kilometer (3,281 feet). The horizontal scale bar is 100 kilometers (62 miles).

Credits

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Rome/Southwest Research Institute/University of Arizona

ENLARGE

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