Mars

Orbital View Of A Martian Dust Avalanche

By Keith Cowing
Status Report
NASA
October 16, 2025
Filed under , , ,
Orbital View Of A Martian Dust Avalanche
ID: ESP_067900_1935 date: 20 January 2021 altitude: 275 km https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_067900_1935 NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Relatively dark slope streaks are common on steep dust-mantled slopes of Mars. When imaged under high sun illumination they appear to be just a dark stain without topographic relief.

However, when imaged with the sun low in the sky (and at high resolution), we can clearly see the topographic signature. Surface material has been removed from the upper slopes and deposited in lobes, as expected from landslides (also called “mass movements”).

Astrobiology, Astrogeology,

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻