Planet Four Talk

Yardangs/ spider networks??

  • p.titchin by p.titchin

    A few images like this have cropped up recently. This one spotted yesterday by "pete-j". They show what appear to be spider channel networks in early Mars spring 2007, Macclesfield, and the HiRISE image shows them extending over a wide area. They are often hashtagged as "yardangs", but Im pretty sure these are channels, not raised "dunes". Perhaps this is early in the long process, and eventually the ground between the channels becomes dominant visually and the raised yardangs form. Any one any thoughts? They are interesting images in network formation whatever! .~Pete.

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  • Kitharode by Kitharode moderator

    Hi Pete. I agree with you that we're looking at channels, rather than raised features, although it's easy to see why some folks would mark these as yardangs. Your suggestion that this might be an early stage in the evolution of yardangs is interesting, and very plausible, but in all honesty I've no idea what's going on. (Nothing new there then)! 😃

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  • mschwamb by mschwamb scientist, translator

    Hi,

    I think these might be channels as well, but I think how exactly the different types of spider channels form is still an open question. We do think they that they exploit all the weaknesses in the surface to create the channels.

    Cheers,

    ~Meg

    Posted