JavaScript is required
JPL Logo
Image

Ripples and Dunes

May 27, 2006
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows dark sand dunes on the floor of an impact crater west of Hellas Planitia on Mars. Portions of the crater floor are exposed near the center but, in general, the floor is covered by large, windblown ripples.

27 May 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark sand dunes on the floor of an impact crater west of Hellas Planitia. Portions of the crater floor are exposed near the center and lower right corner of the image but, in general, the floor is covered by large, windblown ripples. The dark dune sand typically covers ripples, indicating that the dunes are younger and made of a more mobile material.

Location near: 43.7°S, 320.4°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Summer

Keep Exploring