A Feast for the Eyes: A Large Collection of Stunning High Resolution Views of Martian Polar Terrain has been Released

According to Malin Space Science Systems (“High Resolution Views Comparing the Martian North and South Polar Residual Caps”, MGS MOC Releases MOC2-210 to MOC2-219): “The surfaces of the two “residual” martian polar ice caps are very
different from each other. The north polar cap has a relatively flat,
pitted surface that in some places resembles cottage cheese and in others
looks like the surface of a sponge
that you might use in your kitchen sink. The south polar cap has larger pits,
troughs, and flat mesas that resemble pieces of swiss cheese.

In a paper published March 9, 2000, by the journal, Nature,
members of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
team, led by MOC investigator Peter Thomas of Cornell University
(Ithaca, NY), have described some of the newly-discovered differences
in polar geomorphology. The different shapes of the landforms on the
north and south polar caps suggest that these regions have had
different climates and histories for thousands or perhaps even
millions of years. The pictures shown below describe the story
presented in the Nature article.”

Mars Exploration: AAAS Ponders: “Where do we go from here?”, 21 February 2000, SpaceRef

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Note: All images are from Malin Space Science Systems
Click on image to read image caption and access higher resolution images.

MOC2-210 Residual Polar Caps

MOC2-211 South Polar “Swiss Cheese”

MOC2-212 More “Swiss Cheese”

MOC2-213 North Polar “Cottage Cheese”

MOC2-214 North Polar “Sponge”

MOC2-215 North Polar Cap Layers

MOC2-216 South Polar Cap Pits

MOC2-217 South Polar Cap Troughs

MOC2-218 South Polar Cap Aprons

MOC2-219 South Polar Exhumation