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ESA / Roscosmos / CaSSIS
An impressive image of sand dunes on the surface of the red planet
Scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, who are studying frozen deposits in the Arctic region of Mars, have discovered a spectacular spectacle.
Scientists took an impressive picture of the sand dunes created by carbon dioxide heating using the CaSSIS camera from the Mars ExoMars project.
ESA / Roscosmos / CaSSIS
Using high-tech camera equipment, scientists were able to study wind regimes on the Red Planet and, more specifically, the direction of prevailing winds by observing the shape of sand dunes and their evolution over time.
During the winter of Martian, a thin layer of carbon dioxide ice covers the surface and, later in the spring, carbon dioxide peaks on the surface, from ice to steam ( that is, it is converted from solid to gaseous).
In sand dune fields, with defrosting in the spring, gas is trapped between ice and sand and when the ice cracks, the gas is liberated violently and drives the sand, creating dark spots and trails observed on the ice. CaSSIS images.
The crescent dunes, the most widespread sand dunes on Mars, whose curves indicate the direction of the wind, are also taken.
The formation of hills from the dunes indicates that the secondary winds play a role in the formation of the Martian landscape.
Source: RT
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