JavaScript is required
JPL Logo
Image

Dunes of Herschel

Dec. 27, 2004
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows dark, windblown sand dunes on the floor of Herschel Crater on Mars. The surfaces of the dunes have grooves eroded into them. This indicates that the sand is not loose, like it is in typical sand.

27 December 2004
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark, windblown sand dunes on the floor of Herschel Crater. The surfaces of the dunes have grooves eroded into them. This indicates that the sand is not loose, like it is in typical sand dunes on Earth. Instead, the sand is cemented, and wind erosion has been slowly scouring the indurated sands away to create small-scale wind erosion features, known as yardangs. This picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across, and is located near 15.6°S, 229.0°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.

Keep Exploring