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Non‐active dunes in the Acheron Fossae Region of Mars between the Viking and Mars Global Surveyor eras
Author(s) -
Zimbelman James R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl008399
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , geology , sand dune stabilization , orbiter , martian , geomorphology , astrobiology , astronomy , physics
Comparison of a high resolution Viking image (422B10; 8 m/pixel) with a Mars Orbiter Camera image (SP2‐502/06; 5.6 m/pixel) of dunes in the Acheron Fossae region of Mars (38°N, 135°W) reveals that the dunes moved <1 pixel during a span of almost 21 Earth years. Very shallow illumination in the MOC image indicates the dunes are <1.5 m high. The images indicate that any movement of these Martian dunes is <0.4 m/yr, a rate that is less than the documented movement of comparable dunes on Earth by a factor of up to 200. The Acheron Fossae dunes occur within a region of low thermal inertia, indicating that the dunes may be stabilized by a pervasive dust cover. Alternatively, the saltation threshold was not exceeded significantly at this location in more than 20 years.