Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Dark Sand Cascades on Mars

NASA ^ | November 29, 2015 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: They might look like trees on Mars, but they're not. Groups of dark brown streaks have been photographed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on melting pinkish sand dunes covered with light frost. The above image was taken in 2008 April near the North Pole of Mars. At that time, dark sand on the interior of Martian sand dunes became more and more visible as the spring Sun melted the lighter carbon dioxide ice. When occurring near the top of a dune, dark sand may cascade down the dune leaving dark surface streaks -- streaks that might appear at first to be trees standing in front of the lighter regions, but cast no shadows. Objects about 25 centimeters across are resolved on this image spanning about one kilometer. Close ups of some parts of this image show billowing plumes indicating that the sand slides were occurring even while the image was being taken.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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[knarf]

Looks like whipped/torn scrub on a beach

If that's REALLY Mars ... we know NOTHING about God's marvelous hand !

[SunkenCiv]

1/02/2005 — I believe this is the earliest iteration of quoting Arthur C Clarke regarding his kinda goofy belief that he saw trees on Mars:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1310198/posts?page=66#66

[Darksheare]

Pingos?

[JoeProBono]

[Red Badger]

Spice Blow...................wormsign................

[Rennes Templar]

Where”s the beach?

[SunkenCiv]

Not a bad idea... other than the company itself... strawberry or pomegranate ice cream with Oreo crumbles and chunks of the actual fruit (in the case of strawberry).

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[SunkenCiv]

It’s a really nice trompe-l’oeil, the apparently standing objects are tracks running downhill on the mostly gently rolling country. Mars has an atmospheric pressure at the surface about the same as what it is 40 miles altitude over the Earth. IOW, basically no air to speak of.

[Darksheare]

The worm is the spice, the spice is the worm!

[Darksheare]

Quick and dirty Pingo link
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pingo

[Red Badger]

[Red Badger]

P-I-N-G-O.........P-I-N-G-O........P-I-N-G-O........and PINGO is its name-o........................

[Darksheare]

Cats would be the bearers of gom jobbered claws.
Hmm.

[Darksheare]

It really is as bizarre as the name sounds.
Even better, if the water flow inside the Pingo is enough, it bursts through as a frozen spring and forms a slowly melting “spire”.

[Red Badger]

Pre-Spice Blow....................

[Red Badger]

[dsc]

I always thought more of Isaac Asimov. He got me through 16 semester hours of chemistry and biochem.