Dunes in Nectaris Montes

Sand dunes on the slopes of Nectaris Montes within Coprates Chasma, which is part of Mars' giant Valles Marineris canyon system, as seen by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Sand dunes in Valles Marineris can be impressive in size, with steep slopes that seem to climb and descend, as seen in this enhanced-color cutout. The brighter bedforms are inactive while the bigger dunes move over the landscape, burying and exhuming the surface.

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