Martian Basin Dune
Summary (Aug 23, 2004): Among the forces that reshape Mars, few play as prominent a role as the combined effects of impacts and wind. In unison, the result is a reshaped landscape where great craters host equally spectacular dunes.

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Martian Basin Dune

based on ESA Mars' Express report

Argyre basin dune Credit: ESA

These images, taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, show a Martian crater with a dune field on its floor.

The images were taken during orbit 427 in May 2004, and show the crater with a dune field located in the north-western part of the Argyre Planitia crater basin.

• See Spirit's images and slideshow
  

The images are centered at Mars longitude 303° East and latitude 43° South. The image resolution is approximately 16.2 meters per pixel.

The crater is about 45 kilometers wide and 2 kilometers deep. In the north-eastern part of this crater, the complex dune field is 7 kilometers wide by 12 kilometers long.

Endurance Crater dune near the Opportunity rover Credit: NASA/JPL

In arid zones on Earth, these features are called 'barchanes', which are dunes having an asymmetrical profile, with a gentle slope on the wind-facing side and a steep slope on the lee-side.

The dune field shown here suggests an easterly wind direction with its steeper western part. The composition of the dune material is not certain, but the dark sands could be of basaltic origin.

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MER flight planning chronicled in the diary of the principal investigator for the science packages, Dr. Steven Squyres: Parts 1 * 2 * 3 * 4 * 5 * 6 * 7 * 8 * 9 * 10 * 11 * 12 .

Related Web Pages

Mars Rovers JPL
Spirit's images and slideshow
Opportunity image gallery and slideshow
Mars Berries Once Rich in Iron-Water
NASA's RATs Go Roving on Mars
Water Signs
Microscopic Imager
Gusev Crater
Pancam- Surveying the Martian Scene
Mössbauer spectrometer
Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer

Note: Mars Life

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Monday, August 23, 2004