PIA02358: The Groovy Dunes of Herschel
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
 Spacecraft:  Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
 Instrument:  Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
 Product Size:  689 x 985 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems
 Producer ID:  MOC2-203 MRPS95793 P50732
 Addition Date:  2000-05-05
 Primary Data Set:  MGS EDRs
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA02358.tif (759.6 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA02358.jpg (188.3 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

Except for small wind ripples on their surfaces, normal, active sand dunes have very smooth slopes. However, some dunes found in the Herschel Basin of Terra Cimmeria (around 15°S, 228°W) have very rough, grooved surfaces instead. These grooves indicate that the dune surfaces for some reason are cemented--i.e., the sand is not loose--and that wind has actually had to scour the sand to remove it and transport it away from these dunes. What has caused these dunes to become cemented is unknown, and dunes like this are extremely rare on Mars (they have only been seen in Herschel Basin, thus far). This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image was acquired on May 5, 1999, and is illuminated from the upper left.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/MSSS

Image Addition Date:
2000-05-05