The Dark Dunes Of Erebus Options

[Nirgal]

I've always been fascinated by the dark dune fields of Mars, resembling
in color the sands of, for example, the "black beaches" of Hawai
(inidcating the volcanic/basaltic origin ...)

Here is a colorized view of The dark Dunes of Erebus, as seen by Opporty on Sol 608 (click on image for full resolution (900 KB))

[Bill Harris]

We'll see better when we get closer, but I do believe that the white patch is on the crest of the dune. Here is a 5x exaggeration of the most recent Pancam image: the white patch is on the third dune back and looks to me to be in front of the Erebus rim outcrop.

There is another "white patch" on a ripple to the south that Oppy imaged a few Sols ago. Let me go through my archives tonight and I'll post another image.

--Bill

PS-- the earlier image is 1P180568717EFF60UPP2379L2M1. Evaporite boulder on the ripple crest at the crater edge.