Strange parallel grooves in Martian crater floor
Click for full image.
Click for full image.
Cool image time! The image above, cropped to post here, was taken on December 2, 2019 by the high resolution camera of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) of a crater in the northern lowlands of Mars. It focuses in on the strange lineated ruts and ridges found on the crater’s central floor, as indicated by the black box on the wide shot to the right.
The north-south alignment of these groves suggests to me that they are wind caused, as if dust and sand had ponded in the crater’s lowest point and was then shaped by the prevalent winds. They also appear solid and old, as if this shaping occurred a long time ago and they are now decaying with time.
This location is at the same latitude as the plains around Erebus Montes, the prime candidate landing site for SpaceX’s Starship, and a region where a lot of shallow subsurface ice has been detected. It lies due west of that region, separated by the north-south Phlegra Montes mountain chain. At this latitude, 36 degrees north, scientists have found ample evidence of water ice, though some regions have more than others. This crater sits on the edge of this particular rich area, which might explain why the crater looks more solid and dry than others at similar latitudes. There simply might be less ice here, or the ice lies deeper below the surface.
I am off with Diane on a hike this morning, so this cool image fills in for my normal morning news posting. I should catch up this afternoon.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Click for full image.
Click for full image.
Cool image time! The image above, cropped to post here, was taken on December 2, 2019 by the high resolution camera of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) of a crater in the northern lowlands of Mars. It focuses in on the strange lineated ruts and ridges found on the crater’s central floor, as indicated by the black box on the wide shot to the right.
The north-south alignment of these groves suggests to me that they are wind caused, as if dust and sand had ponded in the crater’s lowest point and was then shaped by the prevalent winds. They also appear solid and old, as if this shaping occurred a long time ago and they are now decaying with time.
This location is at the same latitude as the plains around Erebus Montes, the prime candidate landing site for SpaceX’s Starship, and a region where a lot of shallow subsurface ice has been detected. It lies due west of that region, separated by the north-south Phlegra Montes mountain chain. At this latitude, 36 degrees north, scientists have found ample evidence of water ice, though some regions have more than others. This crater sits on the edge of this particular rich area, which might explain why the crater looks more solid and dry than others at similar latitudes. There simply might be less ice here, or the ice lies deeper below the surface.
I am off with Diane on a hike this morning, so this cool image fills in for my normal morning news posting. I should catch up this afternoon.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Readers: the rules for commenting!
No registration is required. I welcome all opinions, even those that strongly criticize my commentary.
However, name-calling and obscenities will not be tolerated. First time offenders who are new to the site will be warned. Second time offenders or first time offenders who have been here awhile will be suspended for a week. After that, I will ban you. Period.
Note also that first time commenters as well as any comment with more than one link will be placed in moderation for my approval. Be patient, I will get to it.