Definition
Dark patches on the surface of Mars that can be elongated in wind direction.
Category
A type of albedo feature on Mars
A type of dark deposit on Mars
Synonyms
Low albedo markings; Variable features (Sagan)
Description
A dark irregular zone having a mottled appearance in images of Mars as seen with Mariner 9 resolution and low to moderate Viking resolution. Dark splotches are often associated with tongue-like streaks. They have a characteristic dimension between several to tens of km, are often found inside impact craters or “washed over crater walls,” and are controlled by topography (Sagan et al. 1972; Thomas 1984). Splotches are in fact fields (ergs) of dark dunes when observed at higher resolution (dark deposits (Mars)). Their low albedo suggested that the sand is silica poor in composition. Dark splotches have been observed in topographical depressions: craters (crater splotches), troughs, and canyons (Thomas 1984). The Oxia Palus region was prominent for its occurrence...
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References
Greeley R, Iversen JD (eds) (1985) Wind as a geological process on Earth, Mars, Venus and Titan. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Sagan C, Veverka J, Fox P, Russell D et al (1972) Variable features on Mars: preliminary Mariner 9 television results. Icarus 17:346–372
Thomas P (1984) Martian intracrater splotches: occurrence, morphology, and colors. Icarus 57:205–227
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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Tirsch, D. (2015). Dark Splotch (Albedo Feature). In: Hargitai, H., Kereszturi, Á. (eds) Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_103
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_103
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Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
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