Topographical map of the north of Tempe Terra
Topographical map of the north of Tempe Terra
Digital terrain models that illustrate the topography of the region using false colours can be derived using the HRSC stereo camera. The altitude can be read from the colour scale at the bottom right; north is to the right in the image. In the absence of ‘sea level’, the elevation data is referenced to an areoid - a modelled equipotential surface on which everything experiences the same gravitational attraction towards the centre of the planet. The colours make the transition from the highlands of Mars (pink, red, yellow and green) to the lowlands (blue) clearly visible. Individual promontories up to a thousand metres high that have not yet been worn away by erosion can be easily recognised, stretching into the northern plains, as well as mesas in the highlands that in turn rise up to around a thousand metres above the transition zone.
Copyright note:
As a joint undertaking by DLR, ESA and FU Berlin, the Mars Express HRSC images are published under a Creative Commons licence since December 2014: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. This licence will also apply to all HRSC images released to date.