Yardangs

The linear ridges and valleys in this VIS image are called yardangs. These features are created by long term winds scouring a poor cemented surface material into linear ridges and valleys. These ridges generally point in direction of the prevailing winds that carved them. Yardangs typically occur on surfaces that are easily erodable, such as wind-blown dust or volcanic ash. These yardangs are located near Memnonia Sulci. 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.