These crescent-shaped dunes are called “barchans”. Barchans have a gentle slope on the upwind side and a much steeper slope on the lee side where horns or a notch often forms. Observing dunes on Mars can tell us how strong the winds are, as well as their direction.

ID: ESP_076382_1350
date: 12 November 2022
altitude: 254 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_076382_1350
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA