|
Collection:
|
|
NASA Mars Collecton
Collection
NASA Mars Collecton
Collection
|
|
title:
|
|
Nirgal Vallis and its Windblown Dunes
title
Nirgal Vallis and its Windblown Dunes
title
|
|
Description:
|
|
Nirgal Vallis is a narrow valley system that stretches approximately 420 kilometers (260 miles) across the martian surface near 28°S latitude, north of the large basin, Argyre. The floor of the valley system is largely covered with light-toned dunes and ripples. These windblown features obscure most of the original morphology of the valley floor. This view of a small portion of Nirgal Vallis was obtained by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) during Extended Mission subphase E02 on March 29, 2001. In each short tributary valley, dunes have a somewhat different orientation compared to those in the other valleys. The dune patterns here indicate that winds are locally controlled by the shape and orientation of each valley. The dunes just left of the center of the image have small craters on them, formed by meteor impact. The craters indicate that the dunes are not fresh, modern features, but are considerably older than they might at first seem. This image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the upper left.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Description
Nirgal Vallis is a narrow valley system that stretches approximately 420 kilometers (260 miles) across the martian surface near 28°S latitude, north of the large basin, Argyre. The floor of the valley system is largely covered with light-toned dunes and ripples. These windblown features obscure most of the original morphology of the valley floor. This view of a small portion of Nirgal Vallis was obtained by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) during Extended Mission subphase E02 on March 29, 2001. In each short tributary valley, dunes have a somewhat different orientation compared to those in the other valleys. The dune patterns here indicate that winds are locally controlled by the shape and orientation of each valley. The dunes just left of the center of the image have small craters on them, formed by meteor impact. The craters indicate that the dunes are not fresh, modern features, but are considerably older than they might at first seem. This image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the upper left.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Description
|
|
section:
|
|
Sand Dunes
section
Sand Dunes
section
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Surveyor
facet_what
Surveyor
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Vallis
facet_what
Vallis
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
facet_what
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
facet_what
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
The Valley
facet_where
The Valley
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
March 29, 2001
facet_when
March 29, 2001
facet_when
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
2001
facet_when_year
2001
facet_when_year
|
|
UID:
|
|
SPD-MARS-gallery/san ddunes/E02-02651Nirg al_i2.html
UID
SPD-MARS-gallery/san ddunes/E02-02651Nirg al_i2.html
UID
|
|
original url:
|
original_url
original url
|
