Investigating an Aeolian Origin to Washboard Terrain on Mars

Many natural phenomena have played a role in shaping the surface of Mars. Wind, a dominant geomorphic agent over the past 2 Ga, continues to shape the surface of Mars, leaving behind many well- and poorly understood features throughout the landscape. Washboard terrain is a unique patterning of periodic and parallel ridges or grooves. Found primarily in the equatorial regions, this terrain resembles the topography of aeolian bedforms, and has been hypothesized to represent preserved wind-blown sand. In this study, we quantitatively compare washboard terrain and modern aeolian bedforms to assess whether the two could be genetically related. Using measurements taken with CTX and HiRISE images, this research focuses on washboard terrain in the 45 sites proposed as potential human exploration zones. Of these 45 zones, 16 contain one or more examples of washboard terrain. By measuring key properties of washboard and modern aeolian terrain, including area and wavelength, we consider possible originating processes.