Tag Archives: sand

THEMIS: Crater dunes

THEMIS Image of the Day, May 13, 2014. A sand sheet with surface dune forms covers the floor of this unnamed crater near the north pole. More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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HiRISE: Dunes and ripples in Olympia Undae

Olympia Undae is a large field of sand dunes surrounding Mars’ North Polar ice cap. Because of the high latitude of the dunes, they are covered with water and carbon dioxide frost in the winter and are poorly illuminated. They … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Calligraphic Mars

Beautiful Mars series. Calligraphic Mars. More Beautiful Mars images.

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THEMIS: Olympia Undae

THEMIS Image of the Day, April 10, 2014. The sand dunes in this VIS image are part of Olympia Undae, a huge sand sea located near the north polar cap. More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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HiRISE: Melt

Beautiful Mars series: Melt. More Beautiful Mars images.

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HiRISE: Dramatic dune destination

This image of a sand dune field in a southern highlands crater was acquired when the Sun was just 5 degrees above the horizon. As a result, the image is mostly shadows, with sharply-delineated dune crests sticking up into the … Continue reading

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Curiosity: Thinly bedded layers

Curiosity’s Mastcam imaged a low outcrop with thinly bedded layers and a granular texture in front of the rover on Sol 565 (March 9, 2014). The adjacent Mastcam images show thin-bedded outcrops over much of the rover’s vicinity. In the … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Sand dunes in spring

Mars’ northern-most sand dunes are beginning to emerge from their winter cover of seasonal carbon dioxide (dry) ice. Dark, bare south-facing slopes are soaking up the warmth of the sun. The steep lee sides of the dunes are also ice-free … Continue reading

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HiRISE image: Dunes in formation

Migratory birds and military aircraft — like during World War II — often fly in a V-shaped formation. The “V” formation greatly boosts the efficiency and range of flying birds, because all except the first fly in the upward motion … Continue reading

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THEMIS image: North polar dunes

THEMIS Image of the Day, February 14, 2014. This VIS image shows a portion of the huge dune field located at the north polar cap. As spring continues to deepen, the dunes are becoming darker and darker as they lose … Continue reading

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