Friday, February 14, 2014

Yardang and Platy Flow in Elysium Planitia


One of the great strengths of HiRISE is that its high resolution can help resolve interesting questions: in this observation, is the platy flow material younger than the yardang-forming material?

A “yardang” is a streamlined hill made of loose rock and bedrock that’s been shaped by wind erosion. The volcanic platy flow material in the same area should be older than the yardang material. The purpose of this observation is to figure out whether the platy flow materials trap or catch (embay) the yardang-forming material, or are just covered by that material.

This is a stereo pair with ESP_025473_1840.

Photo credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Note: For more information, see PIA17982: Which Came First, the Yardang or the Platy Flow?

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