Examples of Martian Gullies. Until recently they were thought to have been sculpted by flowing liquid water, but they may result from defrosting dry ice processes at the end of winter. On the right, gullies on dunes in Russel Crater (54.3°S-12.9°E) are partially covered by CO2 ice. On the left, sinous gullies in a Crater in Newton Basin (41°S-202°E) Credit: Image courtesy of CNRS
Mars’s gullies may be formed by dry ice processes rather than flowing liquid water, as previously thought. Scientists show that, during late winter and spring, underneath the seasonal CO2 ice layer heated by the sun, intense gas fluxes can destabilize the regolith material and induce gas-lubricated debris flows which look like water-sculpted gullies on Earth...
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