Martian Geyser From Sol 122
This perfect face-on view of a geyser shows how active Mars is today
This is an excellent find- a geyser that has recently been active, probably only hours or days before. It shows very clearly the erosion effects of the movement of water.
This image uses filters L2, L5, and L6 for the right portion, and R2 and R6 for the left. I assigned red and green to them and created a false blue from an inversion of R6 to try and match the colors well enough for a good stereo image. The brightness is darker than expected, but I used the calibration factors from my work with the color reference and the presence of a metal pole with a light top acted as my white reference in the images.
You can see the largest vent low in the image and just below the wheel track. There is a central channel that has washed out after the water slowed down- perhaps it washed sand into the vent as water ran back inside. A smaller vent is almost directly above the large one, between the two wheel tracks.
The original images start here at the NASA website.
The discovery of large amounts of sulfur and theories about how it has changed the landscape go hand in hand with geyser activity. Since NASA has announced the findings of sulfur and what appears to be the action of sulfuric acid, it is no surprise that geysers are present and active today. And, some bacteria on Earth can live in the soil and migrate to the surface for light and water only when it gets wet. Mars shows areas that change colors with the seasons, and this activity appears to happen when moisture is present in greater abundance on those areas of the planet.
My thanks to Greg Watson, who emailed me the original stereogram he had assembled in monochrome. He found this perfect geyser vent and I decided to try assembling it in full color. I hope this meets with everyone's approval. Thanks, Greg!
A couple of questions about Martian geysers put to NASA: Question 1 Question 2