Dune Patterns in California Desert Hold Clues that Help Researchers Map Mars' Shifting Sands

Dune patterns in California desert hold clues that help researchers map Mars' shifting sands

Our two-person team loaded the car with a GPS, a drone, notebooks, sample bags, a trowel and a flat spatula lovingly called a scoopula. Then we drove 30 minutes in our rented truck from Yuma, Arizona, to the Algodones Dunes, a sandy field bordering California, Arizona and Mexico. The day was sunny, with a strong breeze. Turning off the highway, we carefully headed onto a gravelly path that acted as our road.

Dune patterns in California desert hold clues that help researchers map Mars’ shifting sands - Tech and Science Post

Our two-person team loaded the car with a GPS, a drone, notebooks, sample bags, a trowel and a flat spatula lovingly called a scoopula. Then we drove 30 minutes in our rented truck from Yuma, Arizona, to the Algodones Dunes, a sandy field bordering California, Arizona and Mexico. The day was sunny, with a strong breeze. Turning off the highway, we carefully headed onto a gravelly path that acted as our road. After making decent – if bumpy – prog…

Dune patterns in California desert hold clues that help researchers map Mars,’ shifting sands

Understanding the similarities and differences of the deserts on Earth and Mars will help space travelers survive future missions to the red planet.