Science
Weatherwatch: the winds of Mars can move the desert – The Guardian
High resolution images from Mars have found that the planet’s thin atmosphere can whip up unexpectedly strong winds
The Red planet is windier than we thought. The movement of megaripples in Martian desert sands reveals that powerful winds do occur, and that Mars has a more dynamic atmosphere than previously assumed.
Megaripples are features of deserts on both Earth and Mars. These larger waveforms (up to tens of metres across) have courser grains of sand at their crest and migrate more slowly than their smaller cousins, requiring stronger winds to shift the larger sand grains.
Until recently scientists had …
Continue Reading
