Public domain
A Slice of Polar Layer Cake
From the collection of NASA Image and Video Library. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The Martian ice cap is like a cake with every layer telling a story. In this case, the story is one of climate change on Mars. In this image is an exposed section of the north polar layered deposits (NPLD). Like a delicious slice of layered tiramisu, the NPLD is made up of water-ice and dust particles stacked one on top of the other. However, instead of icing, layers are topped with seasonal carbon dioxide frost. We can observe lingering frost adhering to one of the layers.
NASA Image and Video Library’s own descriptionCredit lineA Slice of Polar Layer Cake. NASA/JPL, 2020-02-14. Public domain. ID: PIA23740.
