Mariner 9 evidence for wind erosion in the equatorial and mid‐latitude regions of Mars

A review of the Martian eolian regime suggests that it is a more powerful agent of surface sculpture than its terrestrial counterpart. At least seven different types of probable erosional windforms are now recognized on Mars from Mariner 9 television data. Saltation is the principal mechanism by which these erosional features are produced. Suspension transport also occurs and removes fine detritus from most of the equatorial and mid-latitude regions. These fines become trapped at least temporarily in the polar regions and in local large basins and crater floors, and thus deflation of many plains surfaces is allowed to proceed. Detailed comparisons between many of the inferred erosional windforms on Mars and those of the rainless coastal desert of central Peru from the Paracas peninsula to the Rio Ica show remarkable similarities in form and scale. These similarities strengthen the conclusion that the surface of Mars has been extensively modified by the wind and that eolian erosion and sedimentation are important geologic processes.

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