Shadows?

• by AntonyScerri

  So the dark regions on this image look very much like shadows cast from what appear to be narrow but long ridges on the surface amongst the brain like patterning elsewhere. From the length of the shadows looks like fairly tall features. To the right of each one seems to be a consistently coloured region like the top or side of the raised ridge. The long dark region running near horizontal across the image looks to be either from a ridge running that way, or maybe a larger crack.

  However these "shadows" don't all appear to be going in the same direction if you compare those from the left and right vertical sets. Are these shadows, or some sort of deposit?

  Posted January 9, 2013 3:12 PM

• by AntonyScerri in response to AntonyScerri's comment.

  Should have put better subject. These are not fans like the others we have been classifying.

  Posted January 9, 2013 11:42 PM

• by Djbooth

  Look like linear rather than point sourced dust deposits.

  Posted January 9, 2013 11:49 PM

• by AntonyScerri

  Yes they could be, they just appear to have very defined and abrupt edges.

  Posted January 10, 2013 12:17 AM

• by Portyankina scientist

  Hi!
  You are looking at the area completely covered by CO2 ice. In spring, when jets are about to erupt this ice layer is subject to high amount of stress under which it finally fractures by forming long, often linear, cracks. Pressured CO2 from underneath the ice layer  finds these cracks and escapes through them. If it brings along some dust, it creates the fans that we observe here.
  Anya

  Posted January 10, 2013 12:19 AM

• by AntonyScerri

  Thanks for the details.

  Posted January 10, 2013 10:24 AM