Tag Archives: Medusae Fossae Formation

THEMIS: Wind-blown debris in channel

THEMIS Image of the Day, September 2, 2019. Several named and unnamed channels are located south of the Medusae Fossae Formation on the margin with Terra Sirenum. One of the unnamed channels is visible in the lower half of this … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Medusae Fossae formation yardangs

THEMIS Image of the Day, August 28, 2019. Yardangs are present at the top of this VIS image. These features are created by long term winds scouring a poor cemented surface material into linear ridges and valleys. These yardangs are … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Inverted channel on elevated terrain

An inverted channel on elevated terrain. Interesting fluvial processes that might help improve our understanding of the deposits in the Medusae Fossae Formation. Beautiful Mars series. [More at links]

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Medusae Fossae Formation: single largest source of dust on Mars

The dust that coats much of the surface of Mars originates largely from a single thousand-kilometer-long geological formation near the Red Planet’s equator, scientists have found. A study published in the journal Nature Communications found a chemical match between dust … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Wind-eroded ridges

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 17, 2018. Winds in this region have modified the surface, carving valleys into a poorly cemented material. The winds in this region blew toward the northeast. (Note: north is to the top of the … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Contact between Apollinaris Patera and the Medusae Fossae formation

Contact between Apollinaris Patera and the Medusae Fossae formation. Let’s hope they get along. (The Medusae Fossae Formation is to the right in this image and is noticeable for the yardangs — those long, high standing rock formations — we … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Wind etching of soft sediments

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 29, 2018. In regions of poorly cemented surface materials it is possible to create large features due to just the action of the wind. The equatorial region between Olympus Mons and Apollinaris Mons is … Continue reading

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Medusae Fossae formation is likely a deposit from explosive volcanism

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Lujendra Ojha and Kevin Lewis recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] The Medusae Fossae Formation is one of the largest sedimentary deposits on Mars. Its origin is uncertain, though several processes including volcanic, … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Wind-eroded Medusae Fossae formation

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 11, 2018. This VIS image shows part of Medusa Fossae. Winds have eroded materials in this region, creating ridges and valleys aligned with the direction of the wind. The formation materials appear soft and … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Dunes in western Medusae Fossae

Dunes in western Medusae Fossae. These dark dunes in the western Medusae Fossae Formation provide some evidence of being derived locally, probably coming from the north and because of the wind. Beautiful Mars series.

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