Mars Express captures spectacular photos of dunes and ice cliffs near Mars' north pole

The Mars Express orbiter, which has been orbiting the Red Planet for over two decades, captured an impressive image of the northern polar region of Mars.

The northern polar region of Mars is an intriguing and unusual place, even by the standards of this enigmatic planet. In this region, the dust covering Mars' surface mixes with water ice, forming layers that extend for miles, covering an area roughly the size of France.

For most of the Martian year, this region is buried under a cap of frozen carbon dioxide. However, during the Martian summer, the dry ice evaporates into the planet's atmosphere. It was during the mid-summer that the Mars Express orbiter captured a small segment of the northern polar landscape.

The images reveal the boundary between two distinct regions—Olympia Planum and Planum Boreum. Olympia Planum is a vast expanse with wide sandy dunes. On the other side of the boundary lies Planum Boreum, which includes the northern pole of Mars, not visible in the image to the right. The surface of Planum Boreum is smooth, indicating its youth and the absence of destructive erosion and meteorite impacts. Likely, Planum Boreum undergoes renewal each year with the arrival and departure of winter ice. 

Curved rocks stretch between the boundaries, with the largest one being about 20 kilometers wide. These rocks form spiral depressions that traverse the entire northern pole of Mars, their formation linked to the action of winds on the planet's surface.

The Mars Express has been in orbit around Mars since December 25, 2003. Over the years, the spacecraft has not only captured numerous high-resolution images of Mars' surface but has also contributed to the study of the Martian atmosphere and the exploration of the planet's surface.