Dune fields in Olympia Planum
Dune fields in Olympia Planum
A dune field formed by strong, seasonally refreshing winds covers the vast plains of Olympia Planum. The origin of the dune sands lies in a cliff, 1000 metres high in places, which consists of alternating layers of ice, sand and dust. This is why no dunes can be seen above the cliff on the approximately 30 kilometre wide terrace. The edge of the terrain consists of the ice of the permanent north polar cap, which is covered in dust in most places, just like most of the dunes, which leads to the brownish colouring of the landscape forms in this scenery. Further north, in the background of the image, is a smaller dune field covered in light-coloured hoar frost, which also originated in the nearby edge of the terrain.
