Candor and Ophir Chasmata -- 500 mile wide section of Valles Marineris, an immense depression
created by wind erosion of stress fractures in the Martian surface, and subsequent wall collapse.
(Viking Project, NASA, apod030218)
Wind shadows caused by small craters
A more detailed image of crater wind shadows.
The scene shown here is at 13.7 degrees South latitude, and 131.7 degrees West longitude.
Old, partially buried crater in Arabia Terra, with sand dunes in and around it (near 20.9N, 320.8W)
Dust storms and water ice clouds near Syria Planum, on May 20, 2003
(MSSS, JPL, NASA, apod030602)
Dust storms near Labyrinthus Noctis
(near bottom center, in left picture), on May 21, 2003
Morning mist and clouds in canyons near Labyrinthus Noctis
(Viking Project, USGS, JPL, NASA,
apod010417)
View of dust storms at perihelion summer of 2001, centered on Tharsis Ridge area.
On left, appearance of Mars on June 10, about the time that the dust storms started.
On right, appearance on July 31, when the dust storms were near their peak.
(NASA, JPL, Malin Space Science Systems)
Another view of the 2001 dust storms, centered on Schiaparelli crater.
(J. Bell (Cornell), M. Wolff (Space Science Inst.), Hubble Heritage Team (STScI / AURA), NASA, apod011017)
Dust storms near the North Pole of Mars, during its 2002 Spring.
(MSSS, JPL, NASA, apod021224)
Some dark streaks on the Martian surface have been thought to be dust devil trails.
Here, a dust devil is actually caught in the act of creating such a trail.
(Malin Space Science Systems, MGS, JPL, NASA, apod020903)
Sand dunes in Proctor crater
(Malin Space Science Systems, MGS, JPL, NASA, apod010226)
Another view of sand dunes, including signs of dust devil trails, and sand slippage (indicated by arrow).
(Malin Space Science Systems, MGS, JPL, NASA, apod000202)
 The tracks left by dust devils are dark if the overlying material that is scoured away is lighter than the underlying rocks; but here, near Schiaparelli crater, the underlying material is lighter, so the tracks are light. (Note: North is on the left) (NASA, JPL, Malin Space Science Systems) |
 Dust devils up to five miles high scour light-colored dust from the surface of Mars, exposing the material below. In the case of these sand dunes, the material below is apparently much darker than the dust on the surface, creating a dramatic image; but there is no noticeable alteration of the surface waves on the dunes, indicating that only the smallest particles are affected by the dust devils. On the Earth, high-velocity winds have considerable force, but on Mars, the thin atmosphere has far less lifting power. (HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA, apod091021) |
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