Landslide on Mars: Landslides are more common than ever in mountain areas as the monsoon season continues. However, this rapid movement of material is not limited to Earth.
5-km-long Landslide on Mars
European astronomers have also detected landslides on Mars. In the meantime, the European orbiter captures a 5-km-long Landslide on Mars.
Images of material movement on the surface have been captured by the Exo-Mars Orbiter, hovering over Mars.
The image of the 5-kilometer-long landslide is the dominant feature of the first image of the Exo-Mars Orbiter taken on April 13, at the rim of a 35-kilometer-wide crater in the Aeolis area of Mars.
The European Space Agency, which operates the Exo-Mars Orbiter, said that landslides are geomorphological processes under specific environmental conditions.
They are as varied in size and shape on Mars as they are on Earth. Analogs from Earth can be used to help understand similar processes on other planets.
A Martian landslide
The image shows the rapid collapse of the material, and the deposition areas show great details such as longitudinal streaks and flow ridges.
ESA stated that although the impact craters visible in the lobe suggest it is not a recent event, it remains difficult to date its formation.
However, the orbiter captured the landslide while mapping its surface for water-rich areas and “providing the best inventory” of its atmospheric gases.
The orbiter had previously captured a trio of nearby surface craters in the Lunae Planum region.
The image was transmitted to Earth and showed three small impact craters, with more minor impacts marking the scene.
These craters were located in a region covered with large lava deposits, probably from the nearby Tharsis Montes volcanoes.
The Trace Gas Orbiter launched to Mars in 2016 and began its complete science mission in 2018.
Therefore, when it reaches Mars in 2023, the orbiter will also provide data relay services to the second ExoMars mission, including the Rosalind Franklin rover and Kazachok platform.
