Tag Archives: sand dunes

HiRISE: Bedrock riddles of Nili Fossae

This image of the Nili Fossae region, to the west of the great Isidis basin, shows layered bedrock with many impact craters. Nili Fossae is one of the most mineralogically important sites on Mars. Remote observations by the infrared spectrometer … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Patterns on patterns in Olympia Undae

THEMIS Image of the Day, September 4, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows part of Olympia Undae, the largest of several dune fields that encircle the north polar cap. (It is also known as the north polar sand sea.) This image … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Raindrops of sand in Copernicus Crater

Raindrops of sand in Copernicus Crater. The dark features here look like raindrops, but are actually sand dunes rich in the mineral olivine. These types of dunes are rare on Earth as olivine rapidly weathers to clays in a wet … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Into the dune database

Into the dune database. Dunes are particularly suited to comprehensive planetary studies because they are abundant over a wide range of elevations and terrain types. Observations like this one are used to aid in classification and volume estimates of dunes … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Lyot Crater dune field

THEMIS Image of the Day, August 9, 2019. Lyot Crater is a large, complex crater in the northern lowlands of Vastitas Borealis. This image is located along the southern rim of the crater and shows part of the dune field … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Finding the plume

Finding the plume. We hope to determine source and identity of a unique material emission “plume” from inside a corner of this crater, which is being dispersed 60-plus miles “downwind” from this location. HiRISE Picture of the Day archive. [More … Continue reading

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THEMIS: At the north polar cap’s edge

THEMIS Image of the Day, August 7, 2019. Today’s VIS image is located on the edge of the polar cap. The ice is located at the bottom of the frame, with the surrounding plains at the top half. The circular … Continue reading

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HiRISE: McLaughlin Crater dunes

McLaughlin Crater dunes. This image is part of a seasonal monitoring campaign to detect changes and quantify migration rates of the dunes in McLaughlin Crater. McLaughlin is one of the deepest craters on Mars, and was named after Dean B. … Continue reading

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THEMIS: North polar layers and sand dunes

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 23, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows part of the north polar cap, as well as sand dunes located on the floor of a polar trough. The north polar cap is surrounded by numerous dune … Continue reading

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THEMIS: Patterns on patterns in the Olympia Undae dunes

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 19, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows a small portion of Olympia Undae. Olympia Undae is a large dune field that dominates the plains along part of the north polar cap. This image was collected … Continue reading

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