Planet Four Talk

Black river on red delta

  • jodwyer by jodwyer

    Can anyone explain what I am looking at in this photo.

    Posted

  • mschwamb by mschwamb scientist, translator

    They do kinda look like river channels, but they are carved by something other than water. They are carved into the surface of Mars by carbon dioxide gas trapped under the thawing carbon dioxide ice sheet on the south pole of Mars.

    Those dark spots are blotches and fans which are deposits of dust and dirt. They are produced by carbon dioxide geysers on the South pole of Mars which lofts the dust on to the top of the carbon dioxide ice sheet in the summer and fall in the Southern hemisphere. We want you to mark these with the blotch and fan tool.

    You can learn more about what these features are here and here.

    Cheers,

    ~Meg

    Posted