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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Planets

 

Keywords

  • Columbia Hills
  • Mars
  • aeolian

Index Terms

  • Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Atmospheres
  • Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Erosion and weathering
  • Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Surface materials and properties
  • Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mars
Abstract
Cited By (8)
 

Abstract

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 113, E06S06, 17 PP., 2008
doi:10.1029/2007JE002971

Columbia Hills, Mars: Aeolian features seen from the ground and orbit

Ronald Greeley

School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Patrick L. Whelley

School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Lynn D. V. Neakrase

School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Raymond E. Arvidson

Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Nathan T. Bridges

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Nathalie A. Cabrol

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA

Philip R. Christensen

School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Kaichang Di

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Daniel J. Foley

School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Matthew P. Golombek

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Kenneth Herkenhoff

U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

Amy Knudson

Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Ruslan O. Kuzmin

Vernadsky Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Ron Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Timothy Michaels

Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Steven W. Squyres

Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

Robert Sullivan

Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

Shane D. Thompson

School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Abundant wind-related features occur along Spirit's traverse into the Columbia Hills over the basaltic plains of Gusev Crater. Most of the windblown sands are probably derived from weathering of rocks within the crater, and possibly from deposits associated with Ma'adim Vallis. Windblown particles act as agents of abrasion, forming ventifacts, and are organized in places into various bed forms. Wind-related features seen from orbit, results from atmospheric models, and considerations of topography suggest that the general wind patterns and transport pathways involve: (1) winter nighttime winds that carry sediments from the mouth of Ma'adim Vallis into the landing site area of Spirit, where they are mixed with locally derived sediments, and (2) winter daytime winds that transport the sediments from the landing site southeast toward Husband Hill; similar patterns occur in the summer but with weaker winds. Reversals of daytime flow out of Gusev Crater and nighttime wind flow into the crater can account for the symmetry of the bed forms and bimodal orientations of some ventifacts.

Received 19 July 2007; accepted 27 December 2007; published 15 April 2008.

Citation: Greeley, R., et al. (2008), Columbia Hills, Mars: Aeolian features seen from the ground and orbit, J. Geophys. Res., 113, E06S06, doi:10.1029/2007JE002971.

Cited By

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