The surface ofMars has been divided into thirty cartographicquadrangles by theUnited States Geological Survey. Each quadrangle is a region covering a specified range oflatitudes andlongitudes on the Martian surface. The quadrangles are named afterclassical albedo features, and they are numbered from one to thirty with the prefix "MC" (for "Mars Chart"),[1] with the numbering running from north to south and from west to east.
The quadrangles appear as rectangles on maps based on acylindrical map projection,[1] but their actual shapes on thecurved surface of Mars are more complicatedSaccheri quadrilaterals. The sixteen equatorial quadrangles are the smallest, with surface areas of 4,500,000 square kilometres (1,700,000 sq mi) each, while the twelve mid-latitude quadrangles each cover 4,900,000 square kilometres (1,900,000 sq mi). The two polar quadrangles are the largest, with surface areas of 6,800,000 square kilometres (2,600,000 sq mi) each.[2][3]
In 1972,NASA'sMariner 9 mission returned thousands of photographs collectively covering more than 80% of the Martian surface. That year and the next, NASA'sJet Propulsion Laboratory collaborated with theUnited States Geological Survey'sAstrogeology Research Program to assemble Mariner's photographs into the first detailedphotomosaic maps of Mars. To organize and subdivide this work, the USGS divided the planet's surface into thirty cartographicquadrangles, each named forclassical albedo features within the respective regions, and the various quadrangles were assigned to geologists at USGS and at American universities for mapping and study.[4]
As continuing missions to Mars have made increasingly accurate maps available, theInternational Astronomical Union has assigned names to regions of the planet's surface that reflect its actual surface features and geology. These names are also broadly inspired by classical albedo features, with the result that they generally correspond to the names of the arbitrary USGS quadrangles, though larger IAU features frequently span multiple quadrangles.[2]
The maps below were produced by theMars Global Surveyor'sMars Orbiter Laser Altimeter; redder colors indicate higher elevations. The maps of the equatorial quadrangles use aMercator projection, while those of the mid-latitude quadrangles use aLambert conformal conic projection, and the maps of the polar quadrangles use a polarstereographic projection.[1]
| Number | Name | Latitudes | Longitudes | Features | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MC-01 | Mare Boreum | 65–90° N | 180° W – 180° E | Features |  |
| MC-02 | Diacria | 30–65° N | 120–180° W | Features |  |
| MC-03 | Arcadia | 30–65° N | 60–120° W | Features |  |
| MC-04 | Mare Acidalium | 30–65° N | 0–60° W | Features |  |
| MC-05 | Ismenius Lacus | 30–65° N | 0–60° E | Features |  |
| MC-06 | Casius | 30–65° N | 60–120° E | Features |  |
| MC-07 | Cebrenia | 30–65° N | 120–180° E | Features |  |
| MC-08 | Amazonis | 0–30° N | 135–180° W | Features |  |
| MC-09 | Tharsis | 0–30° N | 90–135° W | Features |  |
| MC-10 | Lunae Palus | 0–30° N | 45–90° W | Features |  |
| MC-11 | Oxia Palus | 0–30° N | 0–45° W | Features |  |
| MC-12 | Arabia | 0–30° N | 0–45° E | Features |  |
| MC-13 | Syrtis Major | 0–30° N | 45–90° E | Features |  |
| MC-14 | Amenthes | 0–30° N | 90–135° E | Features |  |
| MC-15 | Elysium | 0–30° N | 135–180° E | Features |  |
| MC-16 | Memnonia | 0–30° S | 135–180° W | Features |  |
| MC-17 | Phoenicis Lacus | 0–30° S | 90–135° W | Features |  |
| MC-18 | Coprates | 0–30° S | 45–90° W | Features |  |
| MC-19 | Margaritifer Sinus | 0–30° S | 0–45° W | Features |  |
| MC-20 | Sinus Sabaeus | 0–30° S | 0–45° E | Features |  |
| MC-21 | Iapygia | 0–30° S | 45–90° E | Features |  |
| MC-22 | Mare Tyrrhenum | 0–30° S | 90–135° E | Features |  |
| MC-23 | Aeolis | 0–30° S | 135–180° E | Features |  |
| MC-24 | Phaethontis | 30–65° S | 120–180° W | Features |  |
| MC-25 | Thaumasia | 30–65° S | 60–120° W | Features |  |
| MC-26 | Argyre | 30–65° S | 0–60° W | Features |  |
| MC-27 | Noachis | 30–65° S | 0–60° E | Features |  |
| MC-28 | Hellas | 30–65° S | 60–120° E | Features |  |
| MC-29 | Eridania | 30–65° S | 120–180° E | Features |  |
| MC-30 | Mare Australe | 65–90° S | 180° W – 180° E | Features |  |
