This spectacular image capturing the Martian Terra Sabea region west of Augakuh Vallis, was taken by the Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) aboard the European-Russian ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter probe. These mysterious patterns located on the ridges of these valleys are the result of the action of sand devils, essentially the convergence point of hundreds, if not thousands, of small Martian tornadoes.
This image, however, is represented in composite colors, where anything bluer than the surrounding colors is represented with a tint of blue. In real colors, the swipes would appear dark red. The sand devil stirs the sand of the surface material, exposing the cooler material below. The reason these streaks are concentrated on the ridges, is still unknown, but the relationship to orographic uplift of carbon dioxide masses flows over the valleys and converges with other air masses, or at least that seems to be one possible explanation.
This image was taken on February 8, 2019 and is centered at 26.36ºN/56.96ºE with north at the top.
Source: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2019/03/Dust_devil_frenzy
Copyright ESA/Roscosmos/CaSSIS, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
(Thanks to Luca Urbinati for the report)
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