Yardang Development

Scaled Image

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU

About this image

The atmosphere of Mars is a dynamic system. Water-ice clouds, fog, and hazes can make imaging the surface from space difficult. Dust storms can grow from local disturbances to global sizes, through which imaging is impossible. Seasonal temperature changes are the usual drivers in cloud and dust storm development and growth.

Eons of atmospheric dust storm activity has left its mark on the surface of Mars. Dust carried aloft by the wind has settled out on every available surface; sand dunes have been created and moved by centuries of wind; and the effect of continual sand-blasting has modified many regions of Mars, creating yardangs and other unusual surface forms.

This image illustrates different amounts of yardang development on the large deposit found on the floor of Nicholson Crater. Note the formation of the ridge/troughshape at the bottom part of the main deposit.

Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. 

Context

Image ID: 
V01154003 (View data in Mars Image Explorer)
0.1939
195.279
1154
2002-03-19 07:59
Fri, 2004-07-16
VIS
1024 pixels (18 km)
3648 pixels (64 km)
0.017768 km/pixel
0.017897 km/pixel

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