Martian winds shape yardangs near the Eumenides Dorsum.

ESA's Mars Express imaged elongated yardangs near the northern Eumenides Dorsum, showing uniformly oriented ridges formed by persistent wind erosion; the scene also includes a fresh impact crater and ancient platy lava flow.

Mars Express has captured detailed images of wind-sculpted ridges near the planet's equator. The photographs show elongated features known as yardangs that have been carved by persistent Martian winds over long timescales. The scene combines wind erosion with a nearby impact crater and traces of ancient lava, offering a layered view of processes that shaped the surface. Key observations: - ESA's Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera imaged a region nearly the size of Belgium at the northern end of the Eumenides Dorsum. - The images show yardangs: elongated ridges left where surrounding material was removed by wind-driven sand abrasion. - The yardangs share a uniform orientation, curving in from the southeast, which records the prevailing wind direction over geological time. - The same frame contains a relatively fresh impact crater with a wavy ejecta blanket and signs of an older platy flow, an ancient lava surface broken into drifting sections. - The yardangs are interpreted to have formed on top of the platy flow, indicating they are more recent features on an older volcanic landscape. Summary: The images illustrate how thin but persistent Martian winds can erode soft rock and leave uniformly oriented yardangs that act as indicators of prevailing wind directions. The captured area also brings together impact and volcanic features, showing multiple formative processes in one scene. Mars Express has been documenting varied Martian terrains since 2003. Undetermined at this time.