aeolian

May 22, 2012

When dunes die

A piece of Mars: This is what dunes look like when they die. At least on Mars. On Earth they typically get buried or eroded away. On Mars geology works slowly enough that the steep slopes of dunes are gradually […]
May 20, 2012

Ripples in a crater

A piece of Mars: Many small craters on Mars are filled, at least in part, by small dunes or ripples. It’s one of the distinguishing features of Mars — a surface marked by geology both old (craters) and young (dunes). […]
May 16, 2012

Wind and hills

A piece of Mars: Blueish and yellowish ripples wind their way around a bright hill. The yellowish ones are probably not moving anymore, but the blueish ones are likely still active from time to time. (HiRISE ESP_020889_1320)
May 14, 2012

Swirls like ribbon ice cream

A piece of Mars: When the wind erodes layered rocks, it can create a dramatic swirly pattern like this. It looks like ribbon ice cream to me. Mmm, rocks. (HiRISE ESP_011582_1730)
May 13, 2012

One perfect barchan on Mars

A piece of Mars: In nature most dunes pile on one another or strongly influence each other. But occasionally, like a perfect flower or crystal, you find a perfectly shaped dune. Here is a crescentic dune, called a “barchan”, formed […]
May 10, 2012

So beautiful

A piece of Mars: The dunes can be so beautiful on Mars. What a lovely vacation spot this would be, provided you brought a large supply of oxygen, food, and a heat source to keep you warm. (HiRISE ESP_026416_1620)
May 9, 2012

Sand, wind, and dust

A piece of Mars: This is what dunes look like in the deepest part of Mars, where the air is full of bright dust that constantly settles out onto everything. The wind helps to clear off the sand dunes (blue […]
May 8, 2012

Tweed

A piece of Mars: Patterns within patterns (metapatterns?).  These small martian dunes shown an unusual complexity in their crossing lines, indicating that they were formed by winds from several directions (and it is likely that those winds changed over time). […]
May 7, 2012

Wind on high

A piece of Mars: We are looking way up high on Arsia Mons, one of the tallest mountains in the Solar System (its summit is ~19 km high — Mt. Everest tops out at 8.848 km; the location of this […]