MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-562, 2 December 2003

This September 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a plethora of dark streaks created during the recent southern spring by dust devils as they passed over and around an old, nearly filled, meteor impact crater. The circular feature is the former crater; the dark dots and specks on its rims are boulders. Dust devils create streaks by removing or disrupting thin coatings of fine, bright, dust on the surface. These are ephemeral features that will disappear before the next spring arrives in 2005. The crater is located near 57.4°S, 234.0°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the upper left.