Dark slope
streaks appear on the ridged terrain surrounding the Olympus Mons volcano on
Mars, as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The aureole
region around Olympus Mons consists of poorly understood deposits, such as this
one that covers the ground beyond the northern volcano flanks. Slope streaks
form on the deposits when dry avalanching of dusty or sandy material may occur.
Such dark
streaks eventually fade over time as bright dust covers the surface once more.
The lightening of the streaks often reveals topographic features found along
slopes that are partially or fully shadowed, or those facing away from the sun.
- NASA/JPL/University of Arizona and SPACE.com
Staff
Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
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