Unified Theory Unravels the Mystery of Sand Ripples Across Earth and Mars
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Mar 13, 2024
Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, including Prof. Hezi Yizhaq and Prof. Itzhak Katra, along with international collaborators, have proposed a new theory that could explain the formation of sand ripples on both Mars and Earth, challenging the prevailing belief that these features could not be formed under Earth’s conditions. Published in Nature Geoscience, their findings suggest a unified theoretical framework for the phenomenon, observed through experiments conducted in specially designed wind tunnels.
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured images of Martian sand ripples in 2015, revealing two distinct patterns: larger, meter-scale ripples alongside smaller, decimeter-scale “impact” ripples. Until now, it was thought that these smaller ripples were formed by wind-driven particle impacts, similar to Earth’s sand ripples, while the larger ones resulted from hydrodynamic instability, akin to underwater ripples. The assumption was that Earth’s physical conditions could not replicate those on Mars.
The Ben-Gurion University team, leveraging the wind tunnel at their university and the Mars tunnel at Aarhus University, demonstrated that the Martian sand ripple phenomenon could indeed be replicated on Earth. This revelation came after experimenting with tiny glass balls to simulate the finer Martian sand, a key to their breakthrough.
This research not only challenges existing theories but also opens the door to new discoveries about the processes shaping the surfaces of both Mars and Earth. Prof. Yizhaq highlighted the novelty of their approach, underscoring the potential for future research to uncover similar patterns on Earth, thus bridging the gap between terrestrial and extraterrestrial geological phenomena.
“There is much more research, both fieldwork and experimentally, needed to prove our theory, but it is amazing to propose something so radically new in a field I have been studying for over 20 years. It is exciting to go out and try to find on Earth what can clearly be seen on Mars,” Prof. Yizhaq shared with enthusiasm about the future implications of their findings.
Research Report:Coevolving aerodynamic and impact ripples on Earth
Related Links
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Space Technology News – Applications and Research