The High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard the ESA Mars Express spacecraft captured this image of 'yardangs,' features sculpted by wind-blown sand seen here near Olympus Mons on Mars. This image was captured with a resolution of 20 meters per pixel during orbit 143. This scene depicts a structure south of Olympus Mons, at 6° N latitude and 220° E longitude, that was most likely formed by wind action.
This image was captured with a resolution of 20 meters per pixel during orbit 143. This scene depicts a structure south of Olympus Mons, at 6° N latitude and 220° E longitude, that was most likely formed by wind action.
The wind carried loose sand fragments, which impacted the bedrock, slowly removing parts of the surface, much like a sandblaster. Wind-lanes, as shown in the image, can form when winds blow in the same direction for an extended period of time. Yardangs are the remnants of these features that have not been eroded away on Earth.
Where the surface is made of a more resistant material, the wind's force may not be strong enough to cause sand-blasting. This could explain the three flat regions (the first in the foreground on the left, and the others on the top right), which measure approximately 17 by 9 kilometers.
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