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Pitted and fluted rocks in the Western Desert of Egypt - Viking comparisonsThe Western Desert of Egypt is one of the most arid regions on earth and is probably the closest terrestrial analog to the surface of Mars. An expedition to the area in 1978 revealed an abundance of quartzite and basalt rocks that have been pitted and fluted by wind erosion and deflation of the desert surface. These pitted rocks are internally homogeneous, show no internal holes or vesicles, and are considered an important but neglected type of ventifact. They bear a striking resemblance to the pitted and fluted rocks seen by the Viking Landers, rocks that have generally been interpreted as vesicular basalts only slightly modified by wind erosion. Wind tunnel studies of the air flow over and around nonstreamlined hand specimens from the Western Desert show that windward abrasion coupled with negative flow, secondary flow, and vorticity in a unidirectional wind can explain the complex arrays of pits and flutes. These field and laboratory observations suggest that the pitted rocks at the Viking Lander sites are also ventifacts, and thus the Martian surface may be far more wind eroded than previously thought.
Document ID
19800042203
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Mccauley, J. F.
(Geological Survey Flagstaff, AZ, United States)
Breed, C. S.
(Geological Survey Flagstaff, AZ, United States)
Grolier, M. J.
(U.S. Geological Survey Flagstaff, Ariz., United States)
El-Baz, F.
(National Air and Space Museum Washington, D.C., United States)
Whitney, M. I.
(Central Michigan University Mt. Pleasant, Mich., United States)
Ward, A. W.
(Arizona State University Tempe, Ariz., United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
December 30, 1979
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 84
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
80A26373
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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