Martian Avalanche
March 8th 2008 09:38
Just when you think you have seen it all, and you may think that Mars is just an ordinary “dead” planet you are presented with another surprising event.
This impressive image taken just by chance when the HiRISE orbiter was repeatedly perusing selected Martian sites to track seasonal changes.
The image centered on the edge of the dome of layered deposits situated on Mars' north pole. From top to bottom this impressive cliff is over 700 meters high from which a large chunk of ice covered in Martian soil slides over the edge of the cliff face causing an avalanche. You are able to see the large plume of dust as it falls down the cliff face.
Because of the volatile wind storms on Mars produces large dust storms called dust devils.
Dust-devils are vortices of wind that form when air rising from a warm surface encounters shear in the above atmosphere. Martian dust devils can attain gargantuan proportions, reaching the size of terrestrial tornadoes with plumes that tower up to 9 kilometers above the surface. Dust-devils play an important role make up Mars, they help clean the Martian surface after a dust storm.
This impressive image taken just by chance when the HiRISE orbiter was repeatedly perusing selected Martian sites to track seasonal changes.
The image centered on the edge of the dome of layered deposits situated on Mars' north pole. From top to bottom this impressive cliff is over 700 meters high from which a large chunk of ice covered in Martian soil slides over the edge of the cliff face causing an avalanche. You are able to see the large plume of dust as it falls down the cliff face.
Because of the volatile wind storms on Mars produces large dust storms called dust devils.
Dust-devils are vortices of wind that form when air rising from a warm surface encounters shear in the above atmosphere. Martian dust devils can attain gargantuan proportions, reaching the size of terrestrial tornadoes with plumes that tower up to 9 kilometers above the surface. Dust-devils play an important role make up Mars, they help clean the Martian surface after a dust storm.
Dust Devil Tracks
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Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
what do they think caused the avalanche? Surely not a 'dust devil'???
What have you heard about other crustal movement on Mars?
And, has the outer 'planet' appeared in astronomers sights yet?
cheers
fog
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
What caused the avalanche, no not a dust devils.
Mars has similar geological aspects as our own Earth.
Changes in soil density siesmic activity [mars has "earth quakes"] martian glacial movements on the poles can cause avalanches.
The 10th planet yes, I will have more to say about this in another blog I just have yet to write it up but will be published shortly.
Cheers
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
that other planet, the last I heard, was on its way inwards, that it has a huge eliptical orbit, and one can only imagine what affect it will have should it be coiming in close to the sun....maybe the old tales of the rogue planet are true afterall...if so, we are in for a bad time of it...
cheers
fog