Metallic waves on ancient Mars
The European Space Agency’s Mars Express has spotted a swathe of metallic-looking waves filling Mars’s large Kaiser Crater – an ancient and otherworldly dune field sculpted by wind.
A swathe of metallic-looking waves has been spotted on Mars's large Kaiser Crater by the European Space Agency's Mars Express. These ridges, towering above the ancient and otherworldly dune field, are sand dunes molded by Martian winds. The dune field, composed of transverse and barchan dunes, stretches across several kilometers and is situated in Noachis Terra, one of the oldest parts of the Red Planet.
Measuring about 180 kilometers across and a few kilometers deep, Kaiser Crater's floor is adorned with these dark, almost shiny ridges. The shiny appearance is a result of frost deposits on the south-facing slopes, while the sand itself is fine and basaltic, rich in minerals such as pyroxene and olivine. The dunes are shaped by winds blowing predominantly from the west, causing them to slowly change and evolve over time.
The image was captured by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) aboard Mars Express, one of eight instruments aboard the spacecraft. Mars Express has been mapping the planet's surface with unprecedented resolution for over two decades, providing valuable insights into the planet's many landscapes.
Written by urgent.news from ESA Space Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
