Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

The Bouncing Sands of Mars

Posted by samzenpus on from the hop-skip-and-a-kuato dept.

astroengine writes "New analysis of high-resolution images of Mars, taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, show sand dunes in an area known as Nili Patera are shifting as fast as some dunes on Earth — despite a dearth of high-speed winds. Scientists suspect it takes a big wind to get sand particles airborne, but once launched from the surface, they bounce around with ease, thanks to the planet's thin atmosphere and low gravity. 'It's kind of like playing golf on the moon — (the sand) goes really high and far compared to what it does on Earth. When it lands it can pick up really large speeds — even with low wind speeds — and splash a whole bunch of other particles to keep the process going,' Jasper Kok, with the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences department at Cornell University, told Discovery News. This research has strong implications for the understanding of erosion processes on the Red Planet's surface and for future astronauts getting caught in a Martian sandstorm, presumably."

22 comments

  1. When the first astronaut lands on mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...I'll be saying, "Check me out. I'm on Mars." I'll be on Mars then.

  2. and splash a whole bunch of other particles... by flyneye · · Score: 1

    ...you mean...like..running water?

    --
    *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
    1. Re:and splash a whole bunch of other particles... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or a Shai-Hulud sliding through aforementioned sand.

  3. You could test this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Real science would be to test the theory...

    1. Re:You could test this by fvandrog · · Score: 1

      Real science would look at the predictions that follow the hypothesis and see if they can be observed. Current observations seem to be in line with the hypothesis as postulated above.

    2. Re:You could test this by khallow · · Score: 1

      Current observations seem to be in line with the hypothesis as postulated above.

      Not useful. Those observations need to be able to distinguish between the hypothesis in question and some hypothesis that doesn't have bouncing sand. I think that was the point of the grandparent.

  4. I think it's by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    Wormsign!

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  5. not that surprising... by slew · · Score: 1

    After you read about this stuff, it's hard to be surprised by moving dirt...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racetrack_Playa
    http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/08/0110259/scientists-solve-mystery-of-irelands-moving-boulders

  6. Really Dr. Kok?? by user+flynn · · Score: 1

    'It's kind of like playing golf on the moon â" (the sand) goes really high and far compared to what it does on Earth. When it lands it can pick up really large speeds â" even with low wind speeds â" and splash a whole bunch of other particles to keep the process going,' Jasper Kok,

    So.. Usually I'd think an object landing upon the ground would exchange some of its energy with the ground, thus reducing speed (relative to the ground). Apparently on Mars, when an object lands on the ground, it can pick up really large speeds (relative to the ground)?

        Does this dude work for the fringe division? I suppose I should RTFA before commenting.... not.

    --
    In the distance you hear an ominous moo.
    1. Re:Really Dr. Kok?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When = By the time

      It's sucky writing, but it's clear what's meant...

  7. That must be one of the subtler things by Gimbal · · Score: 1

    in astrogeology: Understanding the processes of erosion on the surface of a foreign planet. One presumes that it would naturally come if in consideration of the prospect of long-term habitation. Well, there is more to it than robots and photos after all, huh?

    1. Re:That must be one of the subtler things by NoobixCube · · Score: 1

      I think you mean "Areology" specifically about Mars. Xenogeology would be foreign planet study, but the Geo prefix specifically applies to Earth. Therein lies the problem with basing modern scientific parlance on ancient languages ;)

      --
      Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
    2. Re:That must be one of the subtler things by Convector · · Score: 1

      The most common general term is "Planetary Geology". Most of my colleagues (IAAPS; PS="Planetary Scientist") don't usually use the planet-specific prefixes that often. It's much more common to say "Martian Geology" than to say "Areology", or "Lunar Geography" instead of "Selenography". I suppose that it's slightly inaccurate (given that "geo-" does technically mean "earth"), but it sounds much more natural to speak this way. There's also the problem that you'd need to modify each geo- term for each planetary body, and end up with "Enceladography" and "Iapetology". And what do we call the equipotential surface (geoid) on Vesta? "Vestoid" is already used for a class of asteroids.

    3. Re:That must be one of the subtler things by NoobixCube · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the clarification :) I was just being a smartarse (someone being a smartarse on the internet? NEVER!) Using Greek prefixes would also get tricky when you move outside of the solar system...

      --
      Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
  8. Correction (bad editing oper) by Gimbal · · Score: 1

    One presumes that it would naturally come *up* in consideration of the prospect of long-term habitation - up, like the stock the prices of successful NewSpace firms, for instance.

  9. like Dune by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it's the sand worms on mars

  10. Think again... by XiaoMing · · Score: 2

    This research has strong implications for the understanding of erosion processes on the Red Planet's surface and for future cosmonauts getting caught in a Martian sandstorm, presumably.

    Fixed that for you.

  11. Congratulations by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    NASA has now caught up to where Science-Fiction writers have been for decades. They could have rung up their local physics department and asked them about the effects of atmosphere on the terminal velocity of sand particles.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  12. Sandworms by Dreth · · Score: 1

    That's just Sandworms farting.

    --
    All glory to Arstotzka!
  13. Trip to the Beach by RivenAleem · · Score: 1

    Sand Bouncing Castles!