Mars - Plagioclase Distribution

Description

Mars topography (MOLA, 10x exaggeration) with overlain map indicatin distribution of plagioclase detected by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mars Global Surveyor). Blue/purple areas are where little/none of this mineral was detected, while green, yellow, and red indicate increasing concentrations (in that order). Plagioclase is a mineral commonly found in basalts, so we can use this information along with other mineral detections to understand the surface composition.