WHITE ROCK got its nickname when contrasty
image processing gave the feature, which measures about 15 by 18 km (9
by 11 miles), a chalky-bright appearance and suggested it was made of
water-deposited sediments, like the salty residue of a dried-up desert
lake. However, the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) found that White
Rock was built of wind-blown dry sediments. The image seen here was
taken at visible-light wavelengths by another instrument, the Thermal
Emission Imaging System on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. Click on the
image to download a larger version (3.4 MB). NASA/JPL/Arizona State
University
Ruff, S. W., P. R. Christensen, R. N. Clark, H. H. Kieffer, M. C. Malin, J. L. Bandfield, B. M. Jakosky, M. D. Lane, M. T. Mellon, and M. A. Presley, Mars' "White Rock" Feature Lacks Evidence of an Aqueous Origin: Results from Mars Global Surveyor, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 23,921-923,927, 2001.