November

November 25, 2012

And the wind blew on

A piece of Mars: Small dunes (or possibly ripples) are likely no longer moving in today’s winds. Or are they? Dark splotches on their upper (northern) sides suggest some kind of wind scour has recently occurred. Winds blow, create dunes, […]
November 20, 2012

Generations of wind-blown landscapes

A piece of Mars: Some places on Mars highlight just how effective the wind is at sculpting the surface. This is a good example. Dark and light stripes on the right show not one but two successive influxes of sand: […]
November 12, 2012

Big dunes and little dunes

A Piece of Mars: A large dune (on the right, bluish) rests on a surface covered in much smaller dunes or ripples (on the left, cream). This is part of my favorite dune field on Mars. Can you spot the […]
November 1, 2012

Wind shadow, wind shadow

A piece of Mars: When the wind blows sand up against obstacles like this bright little hill, the sand is swept around to the sides. This leaves a wind shadow in the wake of the hill. It’s one of the […]