A satellite that follows Mars MRO captured the first signs of spring in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Covered with seasonal winter ice, the sand dunes in Kaiser Crater have begun to thaw on the sunny side, exposing darker patches of sand.
The bright white stripes represent ice, which is made up of water and carbon dioxide. When the spring sun heats the surface of the dunes, the ice can rapidly turn into gas, causing sand to run down the slopes. These streams are also visible in the image.
The Martian crater Kaiser has a diameter of 207 km and is located in a region called Noahis Terra, which extends west of the Hellas Planitia plain. The crater was named following the Dutch astronomer Frederick Kaiser. This is one of the sites for camera research. HiRISE on satellite MRO to detect Martian seasonal changes. There are many sand dunes formed by the winds blowing along the bottom of the crater of loose regolith.
