Unusual surface pattern, created by wave-like motion?
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by
Scummer80
Does anyone know what causes this type of pattern on the surface? There are vague parallel lines, tilted slightly anti-clockwise from vertical. There is also some sort of large-scale rippled effect, with the leading edge of many ripples appearing bowed out as if propelled by a force running parallel to the visible parallel lines, from top left to bottom right. Within the large ripples are many smaller pits. Is the surface there is loose like dry sand, and are the large ripple patterns caused by wind gusts, all moving in the same direction as one another? Or was there perhaps volcanic activity in the area, and molten rock spread in waves and cooled in that pattern?
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Kitharode
moderator
The short answer from me is; I don't know. 😉
Sunlight comes in from bottom right in these images, so it's easy to get confused about what we see. The ground is channeled and grooved, rather than rippled and wavelike. I've a feeling that wind erosion has a part to play in what we see.
Sadly, the HiRise catalogue is offline at the minute so I can't follow the link to see the bigger picture.
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Scummer80
Wow, my brain refuses to interpret the "ripples" as being indentations! Thank you for your reply, very interesting!
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wassock
moderator
The main image on the HiRise index page for this location http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_003614_0945 shows an image which, to my eye, shows the channels
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Scummer80
in response to wassock's comment.
Thank you, it does indeed look much different from that perspective. The parallel lines are clearly not all parallel either!
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