Tag Archives: Medusae Fossae Formation

HiRISE: Wind erosion, Medusae Fossae Formation

Wind erosion of the Medusae Fossae Formation. Beautiful Mars series.

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Aeolis Serpens, Mars’ longest sinuous ridge, is an ancient riverbed

A linear ridge that winds for more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) through part of South Australia was a river channel roughly 10 million years ago. After the paleoriver stopped flowing, silica-rich groundwater seeped into the riverbed, cementing its sediments.

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Explosive eruptions in dense ancient atmospheres

Explosive volcanic eruptions on an earlier Mars with a thicker atmosphere would have scattered fine ash (pyroclastic debris) mainly east or west of the volcano, a new study finds. Also, a denser ancient atmosphere supports the addition of Arsia and … Continue reading

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Gale Crater’s mound: part of the Medusae Fossae Formation?

The Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) is a thick deposit of soft materials that erodes easily by wind. The formation spreads in several large patches between the volcanic provinces of Elysium and Tharsis. In addition, outliers extend farther afield, with some … Continue reading

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Airblast avalanches

The aerial blast wave from a meteorite impact can trigger dust avalanches in the vicinity, says a new paper published in Icarus. A group of scientists led by Kaylan Burleigh (University of Arizona) reached this conclusion after studying a cluster … Continue reading

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When Apollinaris Patera went boom

Stretching more than 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) between the two volcanic centers of Tharsis and Elysium is a geological enigma, the Medusae Fossae formation. The formation, which lies in several separate patches, appears to be made of easily eroded materials, … Continue reading

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