"The European Space Agency's Mars Express mission just released a stunning orbital image showing surprising changes within Mars's Utopia Planitia basin, which is thought to be the site of a now vanished sea."
"A side-by-side comparison with views of the same patch recorded by NASA's Viking orbiters in 1976 reveals a striking spread of that dark coloration."
"According to planetary scientists, this time the explanation must be the world's strong winds, either by blowing around surface deposits of volcanic ash from ancient eruptions or by sweeping away overlying sediments."
"The new picture also captures shadowy fractures and pits that hint at large volumes of water ice still buried beneath the surface, as well as numerous impact craters surrounded by the detritus of their own explosive formation."
The European Space Agency's Mars Express mission has captured an image showing rapid changes in Mars's Utopia Planitia basin, where volcanic ash is spreading. This area, once thought to be a sea, displays contrasting landscapes of rusted sands and volcanic minerals. A comparison with 1976 images from NASA's Viking orbiters shows significant dark coloration changes. Strong winds are believed to be responsible for moving volcanic ash and uncovering igneous rock. The image also reveals fractures and pits indicating buried water ice and numerous impact craters.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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