Mars Radar Observations, a Preliminary Report

Abstract

Radar observations of a narrow belt of the surface of Mars, centered at 16°south latitude, show a very rugged terrain, with elevation differences greater than 13 kilometers from peak to valley. For nearby points, the relative altitude is measured to 40 meters at best; the precision is worse for points at different latitudes, or widely separated in longitude, because of orbital uncertainties. Some of the larger craters have been resolved, and their depth and, in some cases, the height of the raised rim have been measured. Where high resolution photographs, are available, the correlation is excellent.