Planet Four Talk

strange black mark

  • saintsfan by saintsfan

    this certainly is not airborne, it has a cut through it and follows the contour of the surface

    Posted

  • blabyboy by blabyboy

    I think it is. I think that perhaps cross-winds or surface changes in the valley have covered any ejecta that may have settled within it. It is interesting, and the lighter fan behind it too. I wonder if most of it has fallen on the slopes and is gradually being covered by shifting sands over time hence the darker shade abutting a much lighter shade of surface?

    Posted

  • mschwamb by mschwamb scientist, translator

    Those swiggly line structure are actually channels in the Martin surface. Those ridges are channels in the soil that are sculpted by carbon dioxide gas. These veins in the images are what we call "spiders" or araneiform . We're looking at the south pole of Mars where is an ice sheet of carbon dioxide on the surface. In the spring/ summer when the sun come up the sun heats the base of the ice sheet the ice sublimates on the bottom creating carbon dioxide gas that carves these channels or spider-like features. If the gas can exploit through cracks in the ice sheet the gas escapes into the atmosphere bringing along dust and dirt to the surface that we think get blown by surface binds into the beautiful fans we ask to mark or if no wind the blotches we ask you to map. Cheers, ~Meg

    Posted