Wind Erosion

In regions of poorly cemented surface materials it is possible to create large features due to just the action of the wind. The equatorial region between Olympus Mons and Apollinaris Mons is dominated by wind etched regions. This region south of Apollinaris Mons contains just such a terrain. The direction of the wind aligns with the ridges and valleys. The dominant wind direction in this region is almost east/west; however, other wind directions can occur within a localized region. At the top of this VIS image ridges show a secondary wind direction of almost north/south indicating winds perpendicular to the prevailing direction. It has been suggested that this region of Mars provides a large percentage of the surface dust seen around the planet. Ash falls from nearby volcanoes may have been the source of the surface materials eroded into these and other wind eroded landforms.