• DOI:10.1126/SCIENCE.279.5357.1686
• Corpus ID: 39025378

Topography of the northern hemisphere of Mars from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter.

@article{Smith1998TopographyOT,
  title={Topography of the northern hemisphere of Mars from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter.},
  author={D. E. Smith and Maria T. Zuber and Herbert V. Frey and James B. Garvin and James W. Head and Duane O. Muhleman and Gordon H. Pettengill and Roger J. Phillips and Sean C. Solomon and H. Jay Zwally and William Bruce Banerdt and Thomas C. Duxbury},
  journal={Science},
  year={1998},
  volume={279 5357},
  pages={
          1686-92
        }
}

• D. Smith, M. Zuber, +9 authors T. Duxbury
• Published 13 March 1998
• Geology, Physics
• Science

The first 18 tracks of laser altimeter data across the northern hemisphere of Mars from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft show that the planet at latitudes north of 50 degrees is exceptionally flat; slopes and surface roughness increase toward the equator. The polar layered terrain appears to be a thick ice-rich formation with a non-equilibrium planform indicative of ablation near the periphery. Slope relations suggest that the northern Tharsis province was uplifted in the past. A profile across Ares Vallis channel suggests that the discharge through the channel was much greater than previously estimated. The martian atmosphere shows significant 1-micrometer atmospheric opacities, particularly in low-lying areas such as Valles Marineris.