ESA-гийн Mars Express тойрог замын аппарат Ангараг гаригийн өмнөд бүсэд орших Кайзер тогоон доторх өвөрмөц тогтоцтой элсэн манхнуудыг дүрсжүүлжээ.
Ангараг гаригийн Кайзер тогоо нь ойролцоогоор 207 километр өргөн бөгөөд салхи болон мөсөн бүрхүүлийн нөлөөгөөр үүссэн өвөрмөц ландшафттай юм. Тус тогооны зүүн өмнөд хэсэгт байрлах 100 орчим метр өндөр элсэн манхнууд нь гаднаасаа гялалзсан металл мэт харагддаг байна. ESA-гийн мэдээлснээр, энэхүү харагдац нь манхны налуу хэсгийг хучсан цан хүүргийн тусгал болон элсний өнгөний ялгаатай байдлаас үүдэлтэй ажээ.
Эдгээр тогтоц нь ихэвчлэн хатуу гадаргуу дээр салхины нөлөөгөөр үүсдэг хавирган сар хэлбэрийн “бархан” манхнууд юм. Салхи элсийг налуу хэсгээр нь дээш зөөж, эгц тал руу нь гулсуулснаар ийм хэлбэр бүрэлддэг бөгөөд энэ нь Ангараг гаригийн нимгэн агаар мандал ч гадаргууг хэлбэржүүлэх хүчтэй болохыг харуулж байна.
Тогооны бүс нутгаас эртний усны үйл ажиллагаатай холбоотой байж болзошгүй шавранцар чулуулгийн давхарга болон гуу жалганы ул мөрүүд олджээ. Эрдэмтэд эдгээр тогтоцыг судалснаар Ангараг гаригийн уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлт, салхины нөлөө болон өнгөрсөн түүхэн дэх усны нөлөөллийн талаарх мэдлэгээ тэлж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express orbiter has captured striking images of dark, wave-like dunes inside Kaiser Crater on Mars. Rising about 100 meters above the surrounding ground, these formations look almost metallic from space because of bright frost covering parts of their slopes.
Mars is not just a world of craters and dust. Its surface also carries the marks of wind, ice and ancient environmental changes. Since the planet has a very thin atmosphere and little geological activity, many old landscapes have remained visible for billions of years.
One of these preserved regions is Kaiser Crater, located in the southern highlands of Mars. The crater stretches about 207 kilometers (129 miles) across and contains a mix of ancient impacts, sand dunes and features that may point to a wetter period in the planet’s history.
The latest images from Mars Express show a large dune field in the southeastern part of the crater. While the formations are impressive from an aesthetic point of view, they also help researchers understand how Martian winds have shaped the planet’s surface over time.
Giant Dunes Shaped by the Winds of Mars
The unusual waves inside Kaiser Crater are mostly barchan dunes, a type of crescent-shaped dune created by moving sand. NASA describes barchan dunes as formations where sand is carried up the gentler side by the wind before sliding down the steeper slope. The shape of the dune develops with the curved tips pointing in the direction the wind is moving.
These dunes usually form where there is not a huge amount of sand and where the ground beneath them is relatively hard. On Mars, they show that even a thin atmosphere can slowly reshape the landscape.
In Kaiser Crater, some dunes appear alone, while others connect into a wider field stretching across several kilometers. Their height is also remarkable, with some structures reaching around 100 meters (328 feet) above the crater floor.
From orbit, the dunes create a pattern of dark waves surrounded by a landscape marked by older craters. The contrast gives this region of Mars a distinctive appearance.
Why The Dunes Look Like Waves Of Metal?
The most eye-catching feature of the dunes is their strange shine. In the images returned by Mars Express, the dark formations appear almost like smooth metallic waves spread across the crater floor.
In a release, the ESA said that this effect comes from bright frost deposits found on the south-facing sides of the dunes. The frost reflects sunlight differently from the darker sand, creating the unusual appearance seen from orbit.
The dunes themselves are not made of metal. Their appearance comes from the combination of dark dune material, sunlight and frozen deposits covering parts of the surface.
This kind of contrast makes Mars a planet full of surprising landscapes. Features created by ordinary processes, such as wind movement and frost formation, can look completely different when viewed from another world.
Mars Crater Reveals Signs Of Ancient Water
The dune field is only one part of the story inside Kaiser Crater. The surrounding area contains other features that interest scientists studying the Red planet’ past.
“There are also signs of water-related activity here. Martian winds have stripped away the upper layers of the planet’s surface in places, revealing light-toned clay rock that likely formed in the presence of water,” the agency explained.
The region also contains small gullies and narrow channels along some crater walls. Many of them likely formed through dry landslides, as unstable material moved down steep slopes. Some older gullies may have another origin. Scientists think that melting ice deposits or buried groundwater could have played a role in changing parts of the terrain.
The new Mars Express images offer a detailed look at a landscape where ancient impacts, wind-shaped dunes and possible traces of past water exist side by side. Inside this crater, the metallic-looking waves are another reminder of how varied and unexpected the surface of Mars can be.
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