Dark Slope Streaks Split on Mars
Explanation:
What is creating these dark streaks on Mars?
No one is sure.
Candidates include dust avalanches, evaporating
dry ice
sleds, and liquid water flows.
What is clear is that
the streaks occur through light surface dust and expose a deeper dark layer.
Similar
streaks have been photographed on
Mars
for years and are one of the few surface features that change their
appearance seasonally.
Particularly interesting here is that larger streaks split
into smaller streaks further down the slope.
The
featured image was taken by the
HiRISE camera on board the Mars-orbiting
Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) several months ago.
Currently, a
global
dust
storm is encompassing much of Mars.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
