page_title: Malin Space Science Systems
section_title: Geysers on Mars
hierarchical_section_title: Malin Space Science Systems / Geysers on Mars
caption_attribution_description: English: Artist concept showing sand-laden jets (Geysers on Mars) shoot into the Martian polar sky. Polski: Wizja artysty przedstawiająca erupcję gejzeru marsjańskiego skierowanego w polarne marsjańskie niebo Image credit: Arizona State University/Ron Miller
context_page_description: Malin Space Science Systems is an American San Diego, California-based private technology company that designs, develops, and operates instruments and technical equipment to fly on unmanned spacecraft. MSSS is headed by chief scientist and CEO Michael C. Malin.
  Founded in 1990, their first mission was the failed 1993 Mars Observer for which they developed and operated the Mars Observer Camera Ground Data System. After this mission they were selected to provide the main camera for Mars Global Surveyor. They also developed the cameras that were carried on Mars Polar Lander, Mars Climate Orbiter, 2001 Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Phoenix lander.
  One of the most successful of their instruments to date was the Mars Observer Camera, on board the Mars Global Surveyor placed into orbit around Mars in September 1997. From that date until November 2006, the MOC took more than 243,000 images of Mars, some at very high resolution. Among the MOCs notable successes was the imaging of the landing sites of the two Mars Exploration Rovers. Even before they landed, images from the MOC were very useful in picking the destinations of the two rovers.
context_section_description: The MSSS cameras on board the Mars Global Surveyor, produced high resolution images that were also processed by Malin Space Science Systems, and discovered the intriguing polar features informally known as 'dark dune spots' and 'spiders'. The origin of dark dune spots and the dark slope streaks emanating from them is yet uncertain, and various hypotheses have been put forward on their origin and formation process. The current model proposed by NASA and European teams propose cold geyser-like systems that eject CO₂ and dark basaltic sand. The seasonal frosting of some areas near the southern ice cap results in the formation of transparent 1 metre thick slabs of dry ice above the ground. With the arrival of spring, sunlight warms the subsurface and pressure from subliming CO₂ builds up under a slab, elevating and ultimately rupturing it. This leads to geyser-like eruptions of CO₂ gas mixed with dark basaltic sand or dust.  This process is rapid, observed happening in the space of a few days, weeks or months, a growth rate rather unusual in geology – especially for Mars. The gas rushing underneath a slab to the site of a geyser carves a spider-like pattern of radial channels under the ice.
caption: Artist concept showing sand-laden jets erupt from geysers on Mars, producing 'dark dune spots'. (published by NASA; artist: Ron Miller.
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