European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft captures windblown yardangs and ancient lava flows on Amazonis Mensa.
The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft has captured a new image of Amazonis Mensa, a large, flat mountain on Mars. The photograph highlights how powerful erosive forces have shaped the planet's surface over long periods of geological time.
The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft has captured a new image of Amazonis Mensa, a large, flat mountain on Mars. The photograph highlights how powerful erosive forces have shaped the planet's surface over long periods of geological time. The image reveals several prominent features, including large round impact craters partially filled by lava flows.
According to the space agency, this volcanic activity occurred roughly three billion years ago. Rippled ridges called yardangs appear on the left and right sides of the photograph. These yardangs form when loose sand particles are whipped up by wind and act like a cosmic sandblaster. The ridges appear in two different directions because the mountain acts as a windbreak, splitting the wind into separate orientations.
The Mars Express spacecraft has provided scientists with an unparalleled look at the Martian surface for over 20 years. This long-running mission helps researchers better understand the geological forces that have shaped the Red Planet over eons.
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Original publication: 15 October 2026 19:30
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