Dune-like dynamic of Martian Aeolian large ripples

Martian dunes are sculpted by meter-scale bed forms, which have been interpreted as wind ripples based on orbital data. Because aeolian ripples tend to orient and migrate transversely to the last sand-moving wind, they have been widely used as wind vanes on Earth and Mars. In this report we show that Martian large ripples are dynamically different from Earth's ripples. By remotely monitoring their evolution within the Mars Science Laboratory landing site, we show that these bed forms evolve longitudinally with minimal lateral migration in a time-span of ~ six terrestrial years. Our observations suggest that the large Martian ripples can record more than one wind direction and that in certain cases they are more similar to linear dunes from a dynamic point of view. Consequently, the assumption of the transverse nature of the large Martian ripples must be used with caution when using these features to derive wind directions

Martian Eolian Science: Recent Advances, Remaining Questions, and Roadmap for Future In Situ Investigations

We review remaining critical questions in Mars eolian science, summarize needed in situ measurements, and offer a roadmap for future in situ investigations

Inferring plant–plant interactions using remote sensing

Rapid technological advancements and increasing data availability have improved the capacity to monitor and evaluate Earth's ecology via remote sensing. However, remote sensing is notoriously ‘blind’ to fine-scale ecological processes such as interactions among plants, which encompass a central topic in ecology. Here, we discuss how remote sensing technologies can help infer plant–plant interactions and their roles in shaping plant-based systems at individual, community and landscape levels. At each of these levels, we outline the key attributes of ecosystems that emerge as a product of plant–plant interactions and could possibly be detected by remote sensing data. We review the theoretical bases, approaches and prospects of how inference of plant–plant interactions can be assessed remotely. At the individual level, we illustrate how close-range remote sensing tools can help to infer plant–plant interactions, especially in experimental settings. At the community level, we use forests to illustrate how remotely sensed community structure can be used to infer dominant interactions as a fundamental force in shaping plant communities. At the landscape level, we highlight how remotely sensed attributes of vegetation states and spatial vegetation patterns can be used to assess the role of local plant–plant interactions in shaping landscape ecological systems. Synthesis. Remote sensing extends the domain of plant ecology to broader and finer spatial scales, assisting to scale ecological patterns and search for generic rules. Robust remote sensing approaches are likely to extend our understanding of how plant–plant interactions shape ecological processes across scales—from individuals to landscapes. Combining these approaches with theories, models, experiments, data-driven approaches and data analysis algorithms will firmly embed remote sensing techniques into ecological context and open new pathways to better understand biotic interactions

Megaripple Migration on Mars

Aeolian megaripples, with 5- to 50-m spacing, are abundant on the surface of Mars. These features were repeatedly targeted by high-resolution orbital images, but they have never been observed to move. Thus, aeolian megaripples (especially the bright-toned ones often referred as Transverse Aeolian Ridges-TARs) have been interpreted as relict features of a past climate. In this report, we show evidence for the migration of bright-toned megaripples spaced 1 to 35 m (5 m on average) in two equatorial areas on Mars indicating that megaripples and small TARs can be active today. The moving megaripples display sand fluxes that are 2 orders of magnitudes lower than the surrounding dunes on average and, unlike similar bedforms on Earth, can migrate obliquely and longitudinally. In addition, the active megaripples in the two study areas of Syrtis Major and Mawrth Vallis show very similar flux distributions, echoing the similarities between dune crest fluxes in the two study areas and suggesting the existence of a relationship between dune and megaripple fluxes that can be explored elsewhere. Active megaripples, together with high-sand flux dunes, represent a key indicator of strong winds at the surface of Mars. A past climate with a denser atmosphere is not necessary to explain their accumulation and migration.Open access articleThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Numerical Study of Shear Stress Distribution Over Sand Ripples Under Terrestrial and Martian Conditions

Flat sand beds subjected to wind stress are unstable, and the wind action results in two types of aeolian sand ripples: normal ripples and megaripples. The distinction between the two types is based on two characteristics: i) the normal ripple pattern usually has a wavelength of up to 30 cm, while the megaripple wavelength is on the order of meters; and ii) unimodal distributions of sand grain size lead to normal ripples, while bimodal distributions result in megaripples. On Mars, the distinction between the two types is more difficult to ascertain because the length scales of normal ripples and megaripples can overlap, and often, there is no detailed information regarding their grain size distribution. Unlike normal ripples, megaripples show transverse instability, whose mechanism remains elusive, resulting in a much larger sinuosity of the crestline than normal ripples. In this study, we investigate the megaripples’ transverse instability by using field measurements, wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations of a three-dimensional ripple model. We show that (a) coarse grains accumulate at megaripple crests, with a corresponding reduction of the lateral sand transport along the crest, and (b) the transverse instability of megaripples is generated by a positive feedback between the height of the crest and the accumulation of coarse grains, with more grains accumulating on the higher portions of the crest. The outcomes of this positive feedback are that the thickness of the coarse grain armoring layer along the crest is not uniform and that it correlates with the crest height. In turn, these height differences drive the transverse instability such that higher portions of the ripple migrate more slowly than the lower sections, creating a wavy crestline. An analysis of Martian ripple images shows variations in the sinuosity index, suggesting that this characteristic can be useful in distinguishing between normal ripples and megaripples on Mars

The origin of the transverse instability of aeolian megaripples

Flat sand beds subjected to wind stress are unstable, and the wind action results in two types of aeolian sand ripples: normal ripples and megaripples. The distinction between the two types is based on two characteristics: i) the normal ripple pattern usually has a wavelength of up to 30 cm, while the megaripple wavelength is on the order of meters; and ii) unimodal distributions of sand grain size lead to normal ripples, while bimodal distributions result in megaripples. On Mars, the distinction between the two types is more difficult to ascertain because the length scales of normal ripples and megaripples can overlap, and often, there is no detailed information regarding their grain size distribution. Unlike normal ripples, megaripples show transverse instability, whose mechanism remains elusive, resulting in a much larger sinuosity of the crestline than normal ripples. In this study, we investigate the megaripples’ transverse instability by using field measurements, wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations of a three-dimensional ripple model. We show that (a) coarse grains accumulate at megaripple crests, with a corresponding reduction of the lateral sand transport along the crest, and (b) the transverse instability of megaripples is generated by a positive feedback between the height of the crest and the accumulation of coarse grains, with more grains accumulating on the higher portions of the crest. The outcomes of this positive feedback are that the thickness of the coarse grain armoring layer along the crest is not uniform and that it correlates with the crest height. In turn, these height differences drive the transverse instability such that higher portions of the ripple migrate more slowly than the lower sections, creating a wavy crestline. An analysis of Martian ripple images shows variations in the sinuosity index, suggesting that this characteristic can be useful in distinguishing between normal ripples and megaripples on Mars

Between a ripple and a dune

© 2018 The Publisher Bedforms in deserts include both small ripples and sand dunes that can reach tens to hundreds of metres in length — with seemingly little in between. It now looks as though intermediate-sized megaripples do appear if the conditions are just right.Royal Society Research Fellowshi