 Elevation map of Mare Acidalium quadrangle fromMars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data | |
| Coordinates | 47°30′N30°00′W / 47.5°N 30°W /47.5; -30 |
|---|---|
TheMare Acidalium quadrangle is one of a series of30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by theUnited States Geological Survey (USGS)Astrogeology Research Program. Thequadrangle is located in the northeastern portion of Mars' western hemisphere and covers 300° to 360° east longitude (0° to 60° west longitude) and 30° to 65° north latitude. The quadrangle uses aLambert conformal conic projection at a nominal scale of 1:5,000,000 (1:5M). The Mare Acidalium quadrangle is also referred to as MC-4 (Mars Chart-4).[1]
The southern and northern borders of the quadrangle are approximately 3,065 km and 1,500 km wide, respectively. The north to south distance is about 2,050 km (slightly less than the length of Greenland).[2] The quadrangle covers an approximate area of 4.9 million square km, or a little over 3% of Mars' surface area.[3] Most of the region calledAcidalia Planitia is found in Acidalium quadrangle. Parts ofTempe Terra,Arabia Terra, andChryse Planitia are also in this quadrangle.
This area contains many bright spots on a dark background that may be mud volcanoes. There are also some gullies that are believed to have formed by relatively recent flows of liquid water.[4]
Mare Acidalium (Acidalian Sea) is the name of atelescopic albedo feature located at 45° N and 330° E on Mars. The feature was named for a well or fountain inBoeotia, Greece. According to classical tradition, it is a location whereVenus and the Graces bathed.[5] The name was approved by theInternational Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1958.[6]
The quadrangle contains many features, including gullies and possible shorelines of an ancient northern ocean. The boundary between the southern highlands and the northern lowlands lies in Mare Acidalium.[7] The "Face on Mars", of great interest to the general public, is located near 40.8 degrees north and 9.6 degrees west, in an area calledCydonia. Mare Acidalium also contains theKasei Valles system of canyons.
