Erosion structures and dunes in Nereidum Montes
Erosion structures and dunes in Nereidum Montes
This oblique perspective view into a deeply carved valley bordered by mountains that are over 3000 metres tall shows large-scale movements of material, created by landslides. This material accumulated on the valley floor, where it was exposed to further processes of weathering and erosion. A small impact crater on the massif at the upper left of the valley is, like many other craters in this area, filled with material and exhibits a striking concentric pattern on its surface. Such markings indicate the former presence of glaciers covered by rock debris, known as rock glaciers. The material that slipped into the valley could also have covered ice that might still exist today. Last but not least, the dark dune fields at the entrance to the valley testify to the power of the wind to transport grains of sand over large distances and around obstacles. The greyish-black dune sands commonly found on Mars are of volcanic origin.
