Albedo map

The markings of Mars change rapidly because wind shapes them. This map was made from spacecraft images taken between 1997 and 2012, during Mars Years 23–31.

Albedo is the proportion of sunlight reflected by the surface. Dark surfaces are dust-free or consist of dark basaltic sand and dunes, especially in craters and the north polar region. Brighter surfaces are covered with dust. The white-dotted polar regions show the maximum extent of winter frost in early spring.