July 30, 2018
Research Highlight
Ghost Dune Pits on Mars
Sand dunes are scattered across Mars and one of the larger populations exists in the Southern hemisphere, just west of the Hellas impact basin.Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona.
If photographs of the martian surface, both from orbit and from the ground, one common feature is the presence of large dunes. On the dry, windy plains of Mars, dune formation has been a process that has been occurring over geological timescales. Researchers have identified evidence of ancient dunes on Mars, where dunes were partially buried over time and eroded away. This process left behind dune-shaped pits that could preserve information about Mars’ ancient environment and possibly signs of ancient life.
In a recent study, researchers examined two fields of ancient dune pits, each of which contain over 300 examples of these features. The team compared physical aspects of the pits to modern dunes on Mars. The results indicate that the strata preserved within the pits could have come from a period when Mars was warmer or water-rich.
The rippled surface of the first Martian sand dune ever studied up close fills this view of "High Dune" from the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity rover.Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
The article, “Dune Casts Preserved by Partial Burial: The First Identification of Ghost Dune Pits on Mars” was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. The research was supported in part through the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program, with a postdoctoral placement under the Habitable Worlds Program. The NASA Astrobiology Program provides resources for Habitable Worlds and other Research and Analysis programs within the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) that solicit proposals relevant to astrobiology research. For more information on astrobiology postdoc opportunities, visit: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/nasa-astrobiology-postdoctoral-program/.
Additional Resources:
‘Ghost dunes’ spotted on Mars (Science)
Dune Casts Preserved by Partial Burial: The First Identification of “Ghost Dune” Pits on Mars! (NAI, VPL)