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Clouds over Tempe Fossae - Mars Express
Clouds over the Tempe Fossae region. This highlands region has been heavily modified by tectonic activity. The source of this activity is the continent-sized volcano Alba Mons. The weight of this immense volcano has stretched and distorted the crust of this area, producing extensional fault systems and pit chains. Many of these faulted areas have been partially or mostly buried by lava flows originating from Alba Mons.
The clouds in this view are located over the western Acidalia Planitia lowlands region. Clouds are common in this region. The wavelike nature of some of the clouds in this image are due to atmospheric turbulence downwind of Alba Mons. Known as gravity waves (not to be confused with gravitational waves), these clouds are the result of air oscillating up and down after being forced over a topographic obstacle, similar to ripples downstream of a rock in a stream.
This image was taken by the Mars Express HRSC instrument during the spacecraft's 11,936th orbit of Mars, May 21, 2013.
Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/J. Cowart, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Clouds over Tempe Fossae - Mars Express
Clouds over the Tempe Fossae region. This highlands region has been heavily modified by tectonic activity. The source of this activity is the continent-sized volcano Alba Mons. The weight of this immense volcano has stretched and distorted the crust of this area, producing extensional fault systems and pit chains. Many of these faulted areas have been partially or mostly buried by lava flows originating from Alba Mons.
The clouds in this view are located over the western Acidalia Planitia lowlands region. Clouds are common in this region. The wavelike nature of some of the clouds in this image are due to atmospheric turbulence downwind of Alba Mons. Known as gravity waves (not to be confused with gravitational waves), these clouds are the result of air oscillating up and down after being forced over a topographic obstacle, similar to ripples downstream of a rock in a stream.
This image was taken by the Mars Express HRSC instrument during the spacecraft's 11,936th orbit of Mars, May 21, 2013.
Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/J. Cowart, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO