Wind is one of the most active forces shaping Mars’ surface in today’s climate. The wind has carved the features we call “yardangs,” one of many in this scene, and deposited sand on the floor of shallow channels between them.

On the sand, the wind forms ripples and small dunes. In Mars’ thin atmosphere, light is not scattered much, so the shadows cast by the yardangs are sharp and dark. (Note: The cutout is not map-projected, so approximate north is down).

ID: ESP_044000_1750
date: 15 December 2015
altitude: 268 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_044000_1750
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
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