MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-560, 30 November 2003

This October 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows sand dunes in the southern high latitudes of Mars. Unlike dunes at more northerly latitudes, south polar dunes tend to lack sharp, crisp features. Instead, they are often rounded, smoothed, and, in some cases (as toward the lower 1/3 of this image), flattened. These observations suggest that south polar dunes may be somewhat cemented and are presently (or fairly recently in the past) undergoing erosion. This dune field is located near 63.7°S, 201.2°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.