Scientists are tracking the movement of dust over Martian eons using a high-definition camera from orbit.
A Twitter account of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High Resolution Image Experiment, which has been working on Mars since 2006, recently posted an image of “barchan dunes” formed by the winds of the Red Planet pushing continuously into a single direction.
“Now, who doesn’t like a 3D dune image,” the tweet said (opens in a new tab) along with the image. “Pay attention to the sand ‘thread’ on the right side of the image. It’s interesting how it could have formed.”
Related: Mars sand dunes move in a strange way
Although mission experts provided little details with the image, scientists have been probing the Nili Patera region for many years to try to figure out how the dunes evolve over time. A 2012 study, for example, showed remarkably fast movements over 105 days, during which some dunes traveled up to 15 feet (4.5 meters).
Barchan dunes are formed as the wind slowly moves the grains of sand down the slope of the dunes, creating small ripples on the slope, NASA reported in 2019.
“When the grains of sand reach the top, they fall down the steepest and shortest slope, which, as a result, has no ripples,” the agency wrote in a statement (opens a new tab) in that moment. “It’s this gradual movement of sand that causes the dunes to move slowly over time.”
HiRISE 3D: Dunes by Nili Patera Now, who doesn’t like a 3D dune image? Pay attention to the sand “thread” on the right side of the image. Interesting how it could have formed! pic.twitter.com/mgMc03jOZh25 May 2022
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Scientists are interested in sand dunes because they show areas of constant change on the surface, rather than the same material being impacted by ultraviolet or gamma radiation that could erase Martian biosignatures. It is believed that these regions could be fruitful in the ongoing search for Martian life.
Nili Patera is also known for her unique lava flows of basalt and dacite; Dacite is quite rare on the Red Planet, implying a “volcanically complex” history in the region, according to an Arizona State University website about another long-range NASA spacecraft mission called Mars Odyssey. .
Nili Patera is part of the caldera of the summit (collapsed volcanic zone) of Syrtis Major, from which these strange lavas emanated. The ground is about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) lower than the west bank, according to Arizona State University.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.