awsome

• by lewis_tout

  does any one know what this is

  Posted January 10, 2013 6:16 PM

• by mschwamb scientist, translator in response to lewis tout's comment.

  These are Martian "spiders". They are channels carved into the surface by carbon dioxide gas trapped under the South pole carbon dioxide ice cap during the spring and summer. Learn more here and here.
  Cheers,
  ~Meg

  Posted January 10, 2013 7:49 PM

• by omegarod

  Which direction is the flow?
  Are they channels starting at the perimeter flowing into a low area in the centre, or are they starting at a higher central point and flowing outwards until they evaporate?

  Posted January 12, 2013 1:54 AM

• by Portyankina scientist

  The general direction is towards the center, where the gas must find escape through breaking the ice. But we rarely see such "idealized" picture with large spiders, like on this example. The fans erupt all over the spider, so the direction is towards the closest opening in the ice.

  Anya

  Posted January 15, 2013 4:25 AM