Tag Archives: eolian processes

HiRISE: Raindrops of sand in Copernicus Crater

Posted on August 31, 2019 by rburnham

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

Posted on August 26, 2019 by rburnham

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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Wind erosion of Mars rocks doesn’t release methane

Posted on August 12, 2019 by rburnham

Wind erosion has been ruled out as the primary cause of methane gas release on Mars, Newcastle University academics have shown. Methane can be produced over time through both geological and biological routes and since its first detection in the … Continue reading →

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Are scarps on Mars oriented by wind erosion?

Posted on August 7, 2019 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Joshua Williams and three co-authors recently published in Icarus.] Scarp orientation in regions of active aeolian erosion on Mars • Scarps were analyzed in two regions of active aeolian erosion on Mars. • No … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Channels and ripples in Schoner Crater

Posted on July 4, 2019 by rburnham

Channels and ripples in Schoner Crater. A HiWish public suggestion: “We would like a HiRISE image of the selected area to look for evidence of both fluvial and aeolian processes on the crater wall. Specifically, we are looking for channels … Continue reading →

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Mars sand moves under different conditions than Earth sand

Posted on May 24, 2019 by rburnham

Wind has shaped the face of Mars for millennia, but its exact role in piling up sand dunes, carving out rocky escarpments or filling impact craters has eluded scientists until now. In the most detailed analysis of how sands move … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Central deposits in Pasteur Crater

Posted on March 21, 2019 by rburnham

Central deposits in Pasteur Crater. Caption throwback: The deposits in this image are eroding into knobs and ridges. The erosion is probably dominated by wind, as most of the ridges are parallel. This is common in wind-eroded features, with the … Continue reading →

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Winds of Jezero Crater

Posted on March 19, 2019 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Mackenzie Day and Taylor Dorn recently published in Geophysical Research Letters.] Wind in Jezero crater, Mars • Modern winds in Jezero crater come from the east, but ancient winds came from the southwest • … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Streaking on Mars

Posted on March 12, 2019 by rburnham

Streaking on Mars. Wind streaking, that is. Here’s the suggester’s rationale for acquiring this image: “There’s a field of two-tailed bright wind streaks here that are really neat. They seem unique to the area. It would be nice to get … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Mysterious features on crater floor

Posted on November 21, 2018 by rburnham

Mysterious! These interesting-looking features are on the floor of crater near Amazonis Mensa. They might be wind-driven erosional features. Beautiful Mars series. [More at links]

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