The formation of transverse eolian ridges in the Zhurong landing region: Inspiration from Earth Megaripples

Transverse aeolian ridges (TARs), a kind of ripple-like aeolian landform, are widely distributed on Mars and usually thought to be active within the last ~3 million years. Most of them are usually decameter-scale and have relatively symmetric traverse profiles, which are quite different from typical dunes or ripple forms on Mars. Compared with the commonly seen dark-toned dunes, TARs commonly have relatively high albedos, representing a new class of aeolian bedform with unusual formation mechanism and special relationships between martian atmosphere and sediment circulation. However, the formation of TARs is still under debate.

TARs are also identified in southern Utopia Planitia, the landing region of China’s Mars exploration rover Zhurong. In this study, A total of 354 TARs (Data Set S1) were identified in the study region using the HiRISE image, and three types (Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3) were classified according to their morphological characteristics. A two-stage evolutionary scenario of the TARs is proposed, indicating that there has been a significant change in the prevailing wind direction. Combined with the analog study of similar landforms on Earth, it is suggested that the formation of TARs in the landing area may have a similar process to that of megaripples.