Mars Odyssey THEMIS Image: Dust Devil Streaks

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Context image credit: NASA/Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Team

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At first glance, the dust devil streaks observed in this THEMIS image of the martian northern plains may look similar to many other images. However, what makes this THEMIS image so interesting are the many streaks that trend over hills, mounds, and valleys. Many of the dust devil streaks previously observed occur in very flat and dusty regions. This unique image gives hints to the dynamic nature of the dust devil streak formational process.

[Source: ASU THEMIS Science Team]

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.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Arizona State University