Sand dunes on Mars ‘moving’

SCIENTISTS observing sand dunes on Mars have discovered “very large” movements of sand, indicating that the dunes can be as active as those on Earth.

The findings, published online by the journal Nature, come after images from Nasa’s Mars orbiter captured sand dunes and ripples moving across the planet last year, challenging beliefs that there was little movement on the surface.

Jean-Philippe Avouac, professor of geology at the California Institute of Technology, said: “Our new data shows that wind activity is indeed a major agent of evolution of the landscape on Mars.

“This is important because it tells us about the current state of Mars and how the planet is working today geologically.”