Definition
A spider is a topographical feature of several dendritic troughs radially converging to a common central depression exclusively found in the southern polar areas of Mars.
Description
Its troughs are irregular, radiating away from the center and merge, branch, and anastomose in a seemingly random pattern. Spiders were found either isolated or in groups of sometimes overlapping individuals. During ice-free summer, spiders show no albedo difference to the surrounding substrate: they are solely topographical features. Early in local spring however their albedo often contrasts with the surroundings: either spider’s bluish-bright (standard processed HiRISE false colors) troughs stand out against red substrate or dark troughs against bright substrate. Spiders should not be confused with dark fan deposits that appear in spring in the same area (Fig. 1) (Seasonal Polar Fan-Shaped...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Hansen GB (1997) The infrared absorption spectrum of carbon dioxide ice from 1.8 to 333 mm. J Geophys Res 102:21569–21588
Hansen CJ, McEwen A et al (2007) Spring at the south pole of Mars. AGU Press Conference
Hansen CJ, Thomas N, Portyankina G, McEwen A, Becker T, Byrne S, Herkenhoff K, Kieffer H, Mellon M (2010) HiRISE observations of gas sublimation-driven activity in Mars’ southern polar regions: I. Erosion of the surface. Icarus 205:283–295
Hansen CJ, Byrne S, Portyankina G, Bourke M et al (2012) Observations of the northern seasonal polar cap on Mars: I. Spring sublimation activity and processes. Icarus. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.09.024
Kieffer HH (2000) Annual punctuated CO2 slab-ice and jets on Mars. Mars polar science conference, #4095
Kieffer HH (2007) Cold jets in the Martian polar caps. J Geophys Res 112:E08005. doi:10.1029/2006JE002816
Kieffer HH, Titus TN, Mullins KF, Christensen PR (2000) Mars south polar spring and summer behavior observed by TES: seasonal cap evolution controlled by frost grain size. J Geophys Res 105(E4):9653–9699. doi:10.1029/1999JE001136
Kieffer HH, Christensen PR, Titus TN (2006) CO2 jets formed by sublimation beneath translucent slab ice in Mars’ seasonal south polar ice cap. Nature 442:793–796. doi:10.1038/nature04945
Piqueux S, Christensen PR (2008) North and south subice gas flow and venting of the seasonal caps of Mars: a major geomorphological agent. J Geophys Res 113:E06005. doi:10.1029/2007JE003009
Piqueux S, Byrne S, Richardson MI (2007) Sublimation of Mars’s southern seasonal CO2 ice cap and the formation of spiders. J Geophys Res 108(E8):5084. doi:10.1029/2002JE002007
Pommerol A, Portyankina G, Thomas N, Aye K-M, Hansen CJ, Vincendon M, Langevin Y (2011) Evolution of south seasonal cap during Martian spring: insights from high-resolution observations by HiRISE and CRISM on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. J Geophys Res 116:E08007. doi:10.1029/2010JE003790
Portyankina G (2006) Atmosphere – surface vapor exchange and ices in the Martian polar regions. PhD thesis
Portyankina G, Markiewicz WJ, Thomas N, Hansen CJ, Milazzo M (2010) HiRISE observations of gas sublimation-driven activity in Mars southern polar regions: III. Models of processes involving translucent ice. Icarus 205:311–320. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.08.029
Thomas N, Hansen CJ, Portyankina G, Russell PS (2010) HiRISE observations of gas sublimation-driven activity in Mars’ southern polar regions: II. Surficial deposits and their origins. Icarus 205:296–310
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Portyankina, G. (2014). Araneiform. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_540-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_540-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9213-9
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences